“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth… but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV).
We will be moving in less than two weeks. As I pack up, I sometimes get so bogged down with stuff that I just sit on the floor, stare into space, and half way hope the Lord will take me. Then I think about the verses above, and until now I never truly thought they applied to me. I had no idea I had so much stuff! And people tell me the longer I live somewhere, the more stuff I’ll accumulate. Ryan reminded me about a young lady who had been a missionary for a year in the Philippines. She said each person in her community carried all of their belongs in one small basket. That was it! I remembered thinking how terrible that would be knowing all the things I would have to do without. Now as I pack, I wonder if they would look at me and think how burdensome it would be to spend hours, days, weeks… packing.
Jesus didn’t have to worry or spend lots of time dealing with moving His stuff from place to place. He often slept outside and probably only had one set of clothing. He reminded Martha that hearing the Word of God was more important than preparing food and that we should put God first in all things. Jesus, of course, isn’t telling us we have to get rid of everything. Many times He and His disciples stayed with “church members” in their private homes, ate their food, and accepted gifts and money that people gave them. The point, at least to me, seems to be what do we do with what we have? What am I doing with all of my stuff?
When I was a child, I loved collecting stickers and had more than one child probably should! Did I use them? Well… sometimes. More often than not I saved my stickers, waiting for the “best” time to use them which of course never came. However, I did like to give them away. I loved to give my friends things whenever they came over. I loved to share stickers hoping they would bring as much joy to others as they did to me. And the truth is that a lot of what I have now is for the same reason. I like to make art, or write cards, or bake, or sew something, or even play the piano, not because I’m the best at any of those things (far from it!) but because I love sharing what I create with others because it makes them smile and gives them encouragement. I probably still have too much stuff but I pray for God to continue helping me use what I have to benefit and uplift friends, family, and strangers for they are my real heavenly treasure.