You know, I never realized how difficult it’d be to decide what to take to my new apartment, what to leave behind until I have a house, and what to just get rid of…
I’ve accumulated lots of li’l things which today have no value or use to me, and yet even many of them seem difficult to part with. I don’t know why, and it is quite the annoyance.
Then there’s the stuff which, while they still have value and I may still use, now is the chance to leave them behind. The thought of 1 Corinthians 13:11 swirls in my mind when I consider things like my myriad video games. My LEGO collection is definitely being saved for my future children (boy or girl), but I’m not entirely certain I want to pass the video game habit down. What I do pass down will be weighed against me at the Judgment, and whatever I pass along I would prefer it be a worthy heritage for the Lord. Besides, if the truth is told, video games have never improved my life but did much to take time away from other stuff. Perhaps to eBay they will go.
Yet at the same time, I am finding myself having weird feelings as I look at what I do pack: Is this the measure of my life? Just a few boxes and some furniture? Why is it so easy to measure worth based on possessions? Certainly, I cannot take these things with me to Heaven, so they will be of little value to me before Christ. And I don’t parade my possessions for all to see, so what value are they in the sight of man? And yet, I still notice at times that I judge myself by them.
If there is one thing I learned from Lutzer’s Your Eternal Reward, it is that it is possible to translate our lives here into something which will be of worth at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We can take our possessions with us–you can take it with you when you go–but you have to understand what could be called Heaven’s currency exchange rate. In Heaven, a dollar bill has no value; however, the act of using that dollar to provide a glass of cold water or a bite to eat to someone who has none is an act which has great value in Heaven. Such an act, though unseen on Earth, is an act which Christ considers as having been done to Himself. It has great worth in Heaven, though on Earth it may go unnoticed.
So as I’m going through every single material possession I own, I force myself to think, How can I turn this Game Boy DS or Namco Plug-n-Play into something of value in the coming age? Am I guilty of laying up treasures here while bankrupting myself in Heaven?
Christ said to occupy until He comes, and He meant for us to be working for Him. He was very clear on what He wanted us to do. We call it today the Great Commission. In our efforts to fulfill Christ’s commands, sometimes we sacrifice things–materials, money, possessions, even friends or contacts. Like Paul, we ought to count our losses as gains, for that which we “give” to the Kingdom here on Earth, we will be rewarded for in Heaven. And I am convinced that God will reward us above and beyond that which we would ever expect or hope for–not because He is under any obligation to do so, but because He is merciful and generous beyond all man can fathom.
I recognize areas in my life which need to be surrendered over to His will for His work. And while it is difficult to actually follow through, with prayer I notice improvements.
My Dad often tells me that I’m going to be a preacher someday, perhaps a great one. My first and middle names, Richard Clark, together mean “a great leader and clergyman.” And while I disagree with the “clergy/laity” separation, it is not a stretch to interpret Clark as “preacher” instead. I would love to fulfill my namesake (or to see Dad fulfill his; I’m a Jr.). I’ve a long way to go.
At least, that’s the lesson I’m getting from moving out to an apartment.