Eternal treasures…

We recently had friends over for a casual pizza night.  (Hi Sue!)  We had never had these friends over before, and they had four kids under the age of 6.  So as you can imagine, with eight kids, six of them boys, there was lots of craziness!  But it was good craziness.  At one point, my friend said, “We are trashing every room of your house,” and I replied, “It’s fine.  There’s nothing of value in this house to trash!”

I was thinking more about this afterwards.  To some people would that sound weird?  In our society we strive to have so much stuff.  I often feel “odd” in that sense.  I have been feeling more and more lately like I want less.  I would much rather have friends over that their kids remembered having a good time, than being known for the house with “stuff” or cool gadgets.  I want my kids to remember relationships over material things.  To have memories of people, rather than things.

Nowadays it seems like whoever has the latest gadgets or gizmos is admired.  But Jesus said to store up our treasures in heaven, not here on earth.  I used to want a big house, filled with lots of beautiful things.  But as time goes on, I find myself not caring about the house anymore, but the relationships we are making in that house.  I want to store up my treasures in heaven, and not on earth.  I find myself caring very little about how my house looks anymore, or what “stuff” fills it up.  But admittedly, that is hard, because I often feel so different.

I would rather have a simple and small house, but to have my family doing big things  for the Lord. Serving in ministry, wherever that may be.  I want to focus on people rather than things.  

So that is my prayer these days.  I pray that the Lord would give us ample opportunities to minister; for people in our lives for relationships; and to have that be our focus.  To not strive for material things, but for eternal things….

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.”  Mathew 6:19-21, 24f