Fleeing the trap of stuff
Have you ever heard someone say something that completely stopped you in your tracks?
I’m talking about the kind of statement that as soon as you hear it, you marvel at how clear and profound a particular subject becomes. I had one of those moments this past Saturday.
I was listening to a podcast while taking care of some outside chores, and when the speaker said this, I immediately put down my tools and typed his statement so I wouldn’t forget it. Here’s what he said:
When you are born, you look like your parents.
When you die, you look like your decisions.
My head spun (and still spins) with all the applications and inferences this statement makes. We’re a blank slate when we’re born…my end-of-life health is largely influenced by the choices I made in my 20s, 30s, 40s, etc…who is with me when I die is dependent upon the relationships I fostered over my lifetime…the legacy I leave behind will be because of my decisions…
I ruminated on the implications of that statement the rest of the day. Then the next day at church, our pastor taught through 1 Timothy 6, and these verses practically smacked me in the face:
1 Timothy 6:6-10
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Pairing this truth – for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out – with the statement I heard the day before…I started to wonder why we get so hung up on our stuff. We aren’t born with it, and we can’t take it with us when we die…so why do we humans get so twisted up about it? Why is something so temporary considered a status symbol? Why do I find comfort in stuff that, after I die, will either be left to someone else or tossed in the garbage? Why is it so easy for me to find my identity in what I possess?
So, yeah, hard questions all-around. But they are good questions, even if they sting. We must consider these things now so we don’t regret falling for the temptation and trap from loving money and stuff.
Fortunately, Paul doesn’t just tell Timothy what to avoid – he tells him what to pursue instead:
1 Timothy 6:11
But you, man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.
Instead of loving money and stuff, we are to love God and others. I am certain choosing the pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness will lead to a fulfilling life, one that God designed us for. And when I die, I want to look like those kinds of decisions.
Keep Pressing,
Ken