Posted on June 9, 2023 by Elizabeth Welte in Victory Call
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…” Matthew 6:19
Years ago, my husband and I bought a smaller home that required us to downsize our belongings. But truth be told, our daughter had gotten married and moved out years earlier and our son was an adult in college, so there was much to get rid of that wasn’t even ours to begin with. Cutting our belongings by a third wasn’t too painful. It was a bit like skimming off the top, things like college books (from 30 years earlier), homeschool materials (that we no longer use), and photos of the elephants from our tenth trip to the zoo, etc.
It was a good feeling to get rid of so much stuff – mostly stored in the attic anyway.
A few years ago, we downsized again, choosing to share a home with our son and his family, so we had at least two of everything and we put more stuff in the attic. Still much of what we got rid of was fairly extraneous to us.
Then in another few years, we downsized AGAIN and this time it hurt! I had to start digging into stuff I really cared about but no longer had the space for. There were a few tearful moments as I waded through framed photos that were near and dear to my heart but no longer had the space to display. I had to let go. My husband said, “Just put stuff in the attic.” I have become more and more opposed to attics because I just stored stuff that I wanted but never actually enjoyed because it was stored in the attic. I just enjoyed the idea of having it… somewhere.
It’s easy to let go of things we don’t care about (zoo photos) but what about those things we do care about? Are we willing to hold those things just as loosely before the Lord?
I never saw myself as materialistic and I was confident that I held everything with an open hand, but I’m discovering it isn’t true; and although I am shedding pounds and pounds of “stuff,” it is an emotional process that I don’t much like.
There is wisdom in the minimalist trend. The less we own, the less there is to own us. The less we own, the less we have to stress over. The less we own, the less clutter we have physically and emotionally. The less we own the more room we have in our lives. The less we own the more space we have to breathe.
God doesn’t want our stuff to lure our affections away from Him or to distract us from what is really important.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
May our “t” treasures on earth be held with a light grip and our “T” Treasure in heaven be our greatest joy and longing.
Written by Diane Hunt: Diane Hunt serves on the board of America’s Keswick and is the Executive Director & CEO of Changed Choices, a Christian non-profit in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.
Think About This: “Jesus is the only way because the Bible say it to be true. Why? Because only He can bridge the gap between God and man; there’s no other way.” – Norman Geisler
The Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 5-6. You can download our 2023 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” – Hebrews 2:10-11
Consider a retreat at America’s Keswick retreat center.
