Matthew 6:19-21
Have you ever seen the TV show Hoarders? It's a documentary about the living conditions of people living in all their “stuff”. Literally, these people buy so much stuff they will never use, and it just sits in their homes. Some of them buy things “just in case” they will need it. Some are hoarders simply because they have never decluttered over the years. Others are flat-out addicted to shopping and spending money. Many of them live in their homes with little to no walking room. It's just them and all their junk. They have become attached and obsessed to their material items to the point of not having safe or healthy living conditions. Many of us may not be THAT extreme, but we are still ignoring the red flags of materialism in our lives. Shopping has become an outlet. Working your life away becomes normal, so you’ll have more and more to spend on stuff you don’t need! We fill the void that we have with money and possessions instead of truly KNOWING Christ and following him. We are attached to our things! If you’re reading this and you're a hoarder, sorry, not sorry! It’s not biblical to live as such! Jesus is reminding us to store up our treasures in heaven and not on this earth. This statement is so powerful in verse 21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “retail therapy”, but it cannot be a way of life. Our society always wants the latest and greatest instead of being content with what we have. Jesus literally had no home. His home was wherever he ended up from traveling that day. When he sent out his disciples, Jesus told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt”, (Luke 9 verse 3). The disciples had nothing except the clothes on their backs! Their main focus was the gospel. Preaching, teaching, and proclaiming Christ. They were too focused on the mission. Money and possessions were of no value to them, but reaching others for Christ? Priceless. What if we had that same mindset? The thrill we get when online shopping, we had instead to open our Bible for the day. The extra money God has blessed us with goes to an outreach like the backpack give-a-ways or paying for a child to attend summer camp. What if our priority in life was to influence others for Christ instead of accumulating for our own selfish desires? Be careful not to be a treasure hunter on earth, but of heaven! I think it was said best by missionary C.T Studd. He gave up his fortune to be a missionary and said, “Only one life ‘twil soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Have you ever seen the TV show Hoarders? It's a documentary about the living conditions of people living in all their “stuff”. Literally, these people buy so much stuff they will never use, and it just sits in their homes. Some of them buy things “just in case” they will need it. Some are hoarders simply because they have never decluttered over the years. Others are flat-out addicted to shopping and spending money. Many of them live in their homes with little to no walking room. It's just them and all their junk. They have become attached and obsessed to their material items to the point of not having safe or healthy living conditions. Many of us may not be THAT extreme, but we are still ignoring the red flags of materialism in our lives. Shopping has become an outlet. Working your life away becomes normal, so you’ll have more and more to spend on stuff you don’t need! We fill the void that we have with money and possessions instead of truly KNOWING Christ and following him. We are attached to our things! If you’re reading this and you're a hoarder, sorry, not sorry! It’s not biblical to live as such! Jesus is reminding us to store up our treasures in heaven and not on this earth. This statement is so powerful in verse 21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “retail therapy”, but it cannot be a way of life. Our society always wants the latest and greatest instead of being content with what we have. Jesus literally had no home. His home was wherever he ended up from traveling that day. When he sent out his disciples, Jesus told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt”, (Luke 9 verse 3). The disciples had nothing except the clothes on their backs! Their main focus was the gospel. Preaching, teaching, and proclaiming Christ. They were too focused on the mission. Money and possessions were of no value to them, but reaching others for Christ? Priceless. What if we had that same mindset? The thrill we get when online shopping, we had instead to open our Bible for the day. The extra money God has blessed us with goes to an outreach like the backpack give-a-ways or paying for a child to attend summer camp. What if our priority in life was to influence others for Christ instead of accumulating for our own selfish desires? Be careful not to be a treasure hunter on earth, but of heaven! I think it was said best by missionary C.T Studd. He gave up his fortune to be a missionary and said, “Only one life ‘twil soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Posted in Devotional