I knew they’d be there, in the back of the wardrobe. Longing to see the light of day. Patiently waiting for their moment. Yearning for the love and attention of someone, anyone.
As I reached into the box and dragged out two handbags I’d not used in years, I felt a sense of happiness knowing that they would hopefully be passed onto someone who would care for them more than I was doing. Who would enjoy them more than I was. Who would use them more than I was!
But I also felt a tinge of sadness. Giving them away was hard. Much harder than I thought it would be. Especially as I hadn’t even used them in years. Somewhere between buying the bags and now I’d become attached to them.
When we become attached to things they get added onto our life. Much like when you add an attachment to an email. The bigger the attachment, or the more numerous the attachments, the larger the email becomes, and the longer it takes to be delivered. The additional weigh of the attachments slows the email down. And the additional things we add onto our lives can slow us down or hold us back.
I love my house group and the time we have to discuss God’s word and have fellowship with one another. Last night we discussed the call to live a simple life before God. Not striving for great wealth or status, but seeking first the Kingdom of God and working to store treasure in heaven not on earth.
Something that struck me was our tendency to become attached to ‘things’. Sometimes, even without realising it. ‘Things’ which will one day rot and decay and be gone forever. ‘Things’ which can cause us worry and stress when we are called to have no worries and rely on God’s provision for all of our needs. ‘Things’ which cause us to turn our focus inwards rather than upwards and outwards. ‘Things’ which weigh on us and slow us down.
How different would our lives be if our attachments were to things which last forever? If we attached ourselves to people? Built stronger, deeper relationships? Searched for opportunities to help? Looked for ways in which we could meet a need? Gave away our things, and ourselves?
"If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's terms. " (Luke 17:33)
Life on God’s terms…what’s that like? It’s abundant and full and overflowing. More than we could ever achieve or hope to gain on our own. More fulfilling, more refreshing, more satisfying. So why struggle to hold onto the things in your life, the attachments? Why not give them to God and receive life on His terms?
As I reached into the box and dragged out two handbags I’d not used in years, I felt a sense of happiness knowing that they would hopefully be passed onto someone who would care for them more than I was doing. Who would enjoy them more than I was. Who would use them more than I was!
But I also felt a tinge of sadness. Giving them away was hard. Much harder than I thought it would be. Especially as I hadn’t even used them in years. Somewhere between buying the bags and now I’d become attached to them.
When we become attached to things they get added onto our life. Much like when you add an attachment to an email. The bigger the attachment, or the more numerous the attachments, the larger the email becomes, and the longer it takes to be delivered. The additional weigh of the attachments slows the email down. And the additional things we add onto our lives can slow us down or hold us back.
I love my house group and the time we have to discuss God’s word and have fellowship with one another. Last night we discussed the call to live a simple life before God. Not striving for great wealth or status, but seeking first the Kingdom of God and working to store treasure in heaven not on earth.
Something that struck me was our tendency to become attached to ‘things’. Sometimes, even without realising it. ‘Things’ which will one day rot and decay and be gone forever. ‘Things’ which can cause us worry and stress when we are called to have no worries and rely on God’s provision for all of our needs. ‘Things’ which cause us to turn our focus inwards rather than upwards and outwards. ‘Things’ which weigh on us and slow us down.
How different would our lives be if our attachments were to things which last forever? If we attached ourselves to people? Built stronger, deeper relationships? Searched for opportunities to help? Looked for ways in which we could meet a need? Gave away our things, and ourselves?
"If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's terms. " (Luke 17:33)
Life on God’s terms…what’s that like? It’s abundant and full and overflowing. More than we could ever achieve or hope to gain on our own. More fulfilling, more refreshing, more satisfying. So why struggle to hold onto the things in your life, the attachments? Why not give them to God and receive life on His terms?
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