Treasures on Earth

On Jan. 1, when Daddy left to cover the Sugar Bowl and I was in the hotel for the evening, I was reading a book and had that crazy reality show Keeping Up With the Kardashians on TV in the background (in my defense, there were few channels available in this hotel, and I was not ready for more football). In this particular episode, Kourtney was at the former home of her boyfriend's recently deceased parents. She had taken on the task of going through all of their things to ready the home for sale. She had furniture items marked for donation to a local thrift store. She was going through sentimental pictures and papers. And she had bag after bag of items she was throwing out. These were the possessions of this couple from their many years together. I watched as what may have been treasures to them, became trash. Even the home they shared was considered unimportant to their son.

You know I am not a big collector. Maybe because we've moved so often. Maybe because I hate to dust knickknacks. If I haven't worn something in a year, it goes. If we don't use something, it's off to the local Good Will. I don't believe in hoarding what we don't need, simply because there may be someone else could does need it. So what we do have, you know is important to us. Yes, including the Disney princesses, Princess Leia and Padme action figures. And yes, the bookcase overflowing with pictures. But honestly I don't save too much, and what is in our attic is Christmas decorations and toys that belonged to you and your brother for my future Goglets and grandbaby Z's. I guess when I watched Kourtney going through all these "things" it made me take a good look at what we had in our home. What out of all our possession would be worth keeping when we're gone?

They are all just things, and as Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:7, "For we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it." You can't take it with you.

You are at the beginning of your relationship and just starting to accumulate things. You haven't gotten a home together yet, but I know you are slowing purchasing items for your future location. And you will probably get more at the wedding. Our advice to you is to enjoy life! Make the most of every opportunity and surround yourself with the things you love, but to remember they are only things and will rust, decay and be thrown away when you are gone. So invest wisely. Don't waste your money on crazy, trendy things. Buy durable items. Rotate out what you do not need.

Jesus Christ said in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not store up for  yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Christ had few possessions. His clothes, a tunic, some sandals, perhaps. He didn't consider possessions necessary, but rather relationships. And of course, we suggest nurturing and investing in those first and foremost. We want you to truly consider what you spend your time and money on. Because there will come a day when someone, perhaps not even a member of your family, will be making decisions about what their worth is. And for the most part, aside from the memories ... they won't be worth much.

Discussion: How can you both keep in check what you spend on possessions? What are some items that are treasures to you? What of what your parents have are treasures to you?

Prayer: Father, we know that things are truly unnecessary in this life, but we do have items we love and treasure. We pray we wisely spend our money on the items we purchase and invest in. Thank you for Jesus Christ. It's in His name we pray, Amen.