Living in the Land of Shiny Things

Stack of technology

We use our hands for so many things.  We shake hands when greeting each other.  We carry our coffee drinks.  We handle money.  We grab stuff. We hold onto things.  We give out high fives.

Our hands are important and useful.  But...

When both hands are full it presents a problem when we want to carry more, or give someone a helping hand, or catch ourselves when we fall. I have suffered pain from a bruised a kidney after tripping in the dark with both hands full. I had nowhere to go but down. And gravity was not kind either....I fell hard. I couldn't catch myself and break my fall because my hands were so full.  That's a good visual of how we cram our lives so full of stuff. 

We dwell in the land of shiny things. There seems to be a pursuit of materialism that is in constant overdrive, and it's sucking us into a deep empty void.  

Unfortunately, most of the things we are filling our lives with is with stuff that doesn't matter.

We are busy....

At work and play.

With Angry Birds and Facebook.

You fill in your own blank.

It is better to have less of what doesn't matter and more of what does.

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 4:6

Then [Jesus] said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15  Jesus was aggressive with his words. Watch out for the deception of the world in the form of greed. "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." Luke 12:21

So what matters to you? It is God? Making a difference? Seeing your loved ones come to know Christ? Your bank balance or stock options? How many Facebook friends you have? What would happen if you only tried to fill one hand?

Create some margin.  Let go of what doesn't matter.

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

Cut back ~ Throw out ~ Turn off ~ Fight for what does matter.

"Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." Nehemiah 4:14

Our life is too valuable, our God is too good, our calling is too great to waste it on what doesn't matter. We were created to give Him praise and make His name known. ~ Craig Groeschel

Less is more.

What is it that you need to let go of so you can fight for what matters? How can you cut back? What can you throw out or turn off?