This past weekend, I was helping a buddy of mine who is building a house north of town. At the end of the day, we decided to clean up some of the junk and make a trip to the dump.
When we got there and started unloading, we noticed a box that contained a bunch of hockey trophies. Someone had dumped their medals, a “top scorer” trophy with the player’s name engraved on it, several team photos and even a “Provincial Championship” plaque. All told, there had to be more than 30 different awards in that box.
Now, I do not know the story behind how all those things got there (If you know, please email me as I would love to hear “The rest of the story”), but it was an odd sight. I imagine that, at one time, those trophies would have been treasured items. They were the reward for hours and hours of practice and hard work. Ten years ago, (1998 was date inscribed on many of them), scoring titles and provincial championships were likely the most important things in the world to that person. Likely, those trophies were proudly displayed for all to see.
Yet now, they were lying in the mud surrounded by junk. For whatever reason, those trophies and awards did not mean as much as they once did. In fact, they were deemed unworthy of keeping anymore.
Sadly, that is the way it goes with material things. Your new shirt will one day be the rag that you use to wipe a mess off the floor. Your new cell phone will look old and outdated in a year or two. Even your new vehicle will find its way to the junk yard eventually. The “things” of life just do not last.
Does that mean that we should not have nice stuff, buy anything new or work for awards and trophies? Of course not!
However, it should be a reminder to us to hold these things “lightly”.
What may seem really important right now, in the long run, may not be important at all. Therefore, it would be wise to make sure that we are focusing most of our time on the more important things that will last.
In the words of Jesus: "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” (Matthew 6:19-21).
One day, all of our earthly “trophies” will be in the dump.
Spiritual ones, though, will go on forever.
When we got there and started unloading, we noticed a box that contained a bunch of hockey trophies. Someone had dumped their medals, a “top scorer” trophy with the player’s name engraved on it, several team photos and even a “Provincial Championship” plaque. All told, there had to be more than 30 different awards in that box.
Now, I do not know the story behind how all those things got there (If you know, please email me as I would love to hear “The rest of the story”), but it was an odd sight. I imagine that, at one time, those trophies would have been treasured items. They were the reward for hours and hours of practice and hard work. Ten years ago, (1998 was date inscribed on many of them), scoring titles and provincial championships were likely the most important things in the world to that person. Likely, those trophies were proudly displayed for all to see.
Yet now, they were lying in the mud surrounded by junk. For whatever reason, those trophies and awards did not mean as much as they once did. In fact, they were deemed unworthy of keeping anymore.
Sadly, that is the way it goes with material things. Your new shirt will one day be the rag that you use to wipe a mess off the floor. Your new cell phone will look old and outdated in a year or two. Even your new vehicle will find its way to the junk yard eventually. The “things” of life just do not last.
Does that mean that we should not have nice stuff, buy anything new or work for awards and trophies? Of course not!
However, it should be a reminder to us to hold these things “lightly”.
What may seem really important right now, in the long run, may not be important at all. Therefore, it would be wise to make sure that we are focusing most of our time on the more important things that will last.
In the words of Jesus: "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” (Matthew 6:19-21).
One day, all of our earthly “trophies” will be in the dump.
Spiritual ones, though, will go on forever.
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