How do I spend myself? How am I investing my personal resources? Oh, not so much the money, because the money only follows what my heart has settled on. Follow the money! It leaves an unmistakable trail that tells a tale of either waste or wisdom. All that I gather into my storehouse on earth will go back in the box at the end of my life. I can't take a single thing with me. It's better to divest myself of as much as I can before it's too late and someone else makes that decision for me.
What lasts for eternity? Those things that I can take with me! People and deeds of goodness done for God's approval. Break open the checkbook. Sure, there are earthly things that I have to spend money on: food, shelter, clothes, car insurance. But do I go overboard on those things? Audrey told me she has 70 pairs of tights! I still can't get over that number unless you can beat it by Mildred's 100+ pairs of Ferragamo shoes! How many can you wear at one time?
You cannot serve God and Money. We try, we try all the time and we deceive ourselves by thinking that our pursuit of things is harmless. Use your things to serve God. The "things" in my house, my garage, my closets represent that which I traded my time, my heart in exchange for. I get paid for my "work." In return I spend that payment on something. We deceive ourselves when we view that in terms of percentage instead of intensity.
Poor people can be just as deceived as rich people. Jesus reminds us that God will take care of us. See how He manages the animal and plant kingdom? He values us more. Quit worrying about stuff. Stuff poisons us, blinds us, paralyzes us, buries us under and then smothers us. Store up treasures in heaven - it's OK to gather, just gather the right stuff. When you get up there you'll see what really matters, so why not see it NOW, change course, and then go on an eternal spending spree.
The Jesus Pages is my journey through the New Testament in one year. I invite you to come along, read the Bible passage and leave comments. (If it's nasty or unrelated, I reserve the right to delete it.)
Scripture links are from The Bible Gateway, New International Version.
©2021 Debby Kratovil (kratovil@his.com)
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