What are your most valuable possessions? Besides your home or land you may own, it may be the vehicle you use to get around in most days. Whatever you pay insurance on, that may be a good indicator of what you value. For most, that would be a House, vehicle, and possibly your life. Maybe it is something you inherited from your parents or grandparents that has more sentimental value than retail value. You may have your things of value on display in your home, or you may have them tucked away in a safe place, along with many other things. In fact, you may still have things boxed up from the last time you moved that you haven’t used. What plans do you have for all the things you have collected in your life?
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Matthew 6:24
If you have ever gone to an estate auction, that is a good chance to see what people accumulate over the course of a lifetime. They usually only put out things that have potential monetary value. Most things are never worth more than we pay for them initially, so you can tell others you saved 100% by not purchasing something you were considering. I’ve heard some categorize people into ‘collectors’ who hold on to most everything, and ‘tossers’ who tend to throw most things away, even if they have some value. In reality, the only value something has is that what we, or someone else places on it, even a life. Sometimes we place more value on material things than we do on other people, based on the amount of time, energy, and money we invest in them. Many in our society are obsessed with accumulating things to impress others that they don’t really care about. At some point, our possessions may take possession of us, if we let it get out of control.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17
Though it’s not a new concept, recently, there have been several people who promote minimalism in how they live. This may mean limiting possessions, selling or giving away things they don’t use or need anymore, and trying to make more time for people than for things. This may take more effort for some people than others, but in the least it can help us consider what value we are putting on different things in our lives. If we want to know what we truly value, besides where we spend our money and the things we have, we can also take a look at the amount of time we spend on hobbies, recreation, entertainment, work, study, the Word, etc. Where we spend our time is an indicator of what we truly value. Besides what we have to do, what do we choose to do in any free time we have? How much of your day do you give to help others, or even to talk to your Lord? Its something I need to consider from time to time, to keep things from getting out of balance. May you find a good balance in your life and give value to things that have a lasting reward.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20
Yours in Christ,
Clark
