Just Stuff

"If God were teaching us this in a classroom setting, He might draw a line down the center of the chalkboard and put these headings at the top of each column: "Stuff that doesn't last" and "Stuff that does last." And He says to not get too attached to earth-stuff because it "passes away." Our great love, our great passion, and our great pursuit should be for the "will of God" things that we cannot lose. The rest is "just stuff." It's all part of Jesus' command to "seek first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33), even though we're surrounded by people who are totally consumed with getting possessions, getting promotions, getting prosperity, or getting prominence.

My life was profoundly affected by something that happened when I was becoming a teenager. Five American missionaries were martyred in their attempt to reach a tribe in the jungles of Ecuador; a tribe who had never heard the name of Jesus. Later, the widow of one and the sister of another went to that tribe to tell them about Jesus. Today, much of the Auca or Waodani Tribe knows Christ, and the murderers of the missionaries are the leaders of the Waodani church. Thousands of people are in God's work today, including me, because of the challenge of their example.

Jim Elliot, one of those martyred missionaries, sorted out the ultimate values in life in a powerful statement he wrote once. Here's what he said: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Well, that's it right there. Either you live for the things you cannot ultimately keep, or you live for the things you can never lose. So which ones are you pursuing?"

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