The Important "Things"....

I found myself singing the other day an old tune (won't go into how old!) that I heard from the ORIGINAL Gaither Vocal Band. If you don't remember their beginnings, you may be too young to read this post! (just joshing ya!). The song was, "The things that last forever". I'm not sure if I have all the lyrics right, but I think it went something like this:

The things that last forever, the things that never die
I give myself each day I live, to what I know will never die
Yes, I will give myself away for things that will never die

"Things"...I have PLENTY of those! I'm sure you do too. "Stuff" that is just material possessions...stuff that I/we can live without. We could make lists of the types of items that fill our lives. Isn't it easy to become attached to these 'things"? The "things" we cannot live without (or so we think!).

If there was one item you could not do without, what would it be? In this day, I would probably guess that the answer would be the "cell phone". Have you seen the new choices? The phones can call, text, serf the web, take pictures, play music, record videos, link computers and much more. Astounding! Your own personal robot in a box...

I asked my Sunday School Class the other day what they would grab in the case of a fire in their home/location. Of course getting all family members out safely was the first, and unanimous answer. After loved ones, the Bible and pictures were the next "grabs". Everything we "rely" on for survival would be gone: clothes, appliances, furniture, beauty aids, pantry items, toys, electronics and much more. All these "things" can be replaced, purchased again...people cannot.

"The things that never die" are the "things" worth living for: Your spouse, your kids, family and friends. Let's even break it down a little further....your neighbor. The disciples asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus proceeded to tell us that everyone is our neighbor in the wonderful, caring story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). He also let us know that we should be concerned about them. "Love thy neighbor as thyself". Wow! And we think we do good to take care of our own, I am commanded to take care of everyone else too! The lessons that matter...

A new song by Tim McGraw, "Nothin' to die for" talks of many "silly" choices we make that are NOT worth living for. The chorus then tells of the "things" we do live for:

You'd give your last breath to your wife
Take a bullet for your kids
Lay your life down for your country, for your Jesus, for your friends
There's a whole lot of things you say you're living for
You've got to fight it somehow, stop and turn around,
'cause this ain't nothin' to die for

Stop and turn around....take "inventory" of what is most important to us! Are we spending our time, health and concerns on "empty", temporary, "things" that have no future value? Embrace the choices that have lasting rewards.

Are you spending enough time on the right portions of your life? God reveals the true treasures...."Sweeter than honey, more precious than silver or gold, fairer than anything, is Jesus to my soul."