Collecting

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 neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:19-21

Humans are collectors! Everything under the sun is fair game when it comes to collecting—sea shells, antique furniture, art, classic cars, guns, jewelry, Civil war artifacts, old stamps, trading cards, old dolls, autographs; the list never ends! My father helped me as a child to begin a coin collection. (My wife and I let a homeless lady stay with us, and she stole it. I was heartbroken and angry.) Now I have a collection of medals from the dozens of road races I have run.

What are you collecting? In the verses above Jesus challenged our natural human desire of collecting for the present with His contrasting view of collecting for eternity.

Should we follow the religious ascetics and throw out all our collections? No! We can have collections of earthly things and still faithfully follow Jesus Christ. We just need to remember our collections are just that—earthly, temporal, and of much less value than what God says is lasting and eternal. Perspective. What are you collecting of eternal value?

People are the only things that are eternal. Therefore, invest your life in people! Ask God right now to make you an example of Jesus with godly character so that unbelievers will see Jesus in you and be drawn to Him. Seek to bring lost souls to Christ and then help them grow in Him and bring others into His family.