Key Verse

Matthew 6:25

²⁵“So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life–whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing?

Something To Think About

Bill and Karen were your typical young successful couple. Two incomes, a large newly furnished home, new cars, college loans and credit card debt. They had it all. The only problem was that both of them had to continue to work to keep up with the payments. During discussions about having kids, it was decided that even if Karen wanted to stay home to raise the kids, they couldn’t afford to lose her income with all of the debt they had. Even the thought of paying the high daycare costs kept them from having kids right away. On the outside, they had the look of success. On the inside, they were miserable. Instead of owning all of this stuff, their stuff was owning them.

That is the trap a lot of people often find themselves in. In our culture, we are pressured to always drive the latest vehicle, own the latest electronic gadget, wear the latest fashions. According to the “pop culture”, you have to have the latest, greatest, biggest, coolest, hippest lifestyle available today! And tomorrow, you need more. It’s a never ending trap.

Don’t feel bad, this has been going on for a long time. Jesus told his disciples about this in Mark 8:36-37, ³⁶And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? ³⁷Is anything worth more than your soul?

You see, God doesn’t care how much you own. He cares about you. God is more interested in what you do for eternity than what you do for a living. It is important to develop an eternal perspective on our life here on earth. Once we start thinking and acting with an eternal perspective, the things of this world won’t matter much.

Paul figured it out. In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul said, “¹¹Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. ¹²I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. ¹³For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” _{Phil 4:11-13}

Material things will always let you down. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He will never let you down.

Let’s Discuss

What would happen to you if you lost the ability to earn an income tomorrow?

If God called you to go into the mission field full-time today, could you go?

Does your stuff own you? If so, what steps can you take to get out from under that oppression?

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