INVESTING IN THE WRONG STUFF
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I love to read. What a great blessing and responsibility reading is. I heard a Preacher boast he had read 10 books this month. That is good, I thought. I enquired how much of the Bible did he read that month? He said: Oh, I am too busy reading to read the Bible! I am reading some “good books.” Wow.
Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Matthew 23:23 (MSG) "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required.
WRONG STUFF? EVER FORGET SOMETHING THAT YOU NEEDED TO REMEMBER?
There was an old lady that really loved life and one day her wonderful husband suddenly died. She was broken heart and was so lonely. One day see was reading an article about how special pets can be to bring happiness and joy to a home. So the widow lady went to the local pet shop and discussed her needs with the shop’s owner. He told her he had
Just what she needed. He had a baby bird that was so loving and the bird could talk. He told heard the bird would bring many hours of entertainment and company.
The widow lady was happy as she carried the big cage and the bird to her car. When the lady got home she cleaned out a corner near a huge picture window. The bird would jump and play, but it never said one word to her. So the lady went to town the next week and stopped by the pet shop and informed the man her bird had not spoken one word. The man could not believe it. So he asked her: DO YOU HAVE A MIRROR IN THE CAGE? The widow said: NO! So the man sold her a big, nice mirror to hang in the cage. In great excitement the lady hung the mirror in with the bird. She was amazed
how the bird would sit for hours and look in the mirror. But, the bird never said a word. The lady’s loneliness just increased. She had no one to talk.
The lady went to town the next week and she complained to the shop’s owner, that silly bird has not said one word to me and I purchased that dumb bird to talk. What is wrong? The owner asked the lady, do you have a swing for your bird to enjoy? The answer again was: NO! So the lady could not wait to get home and hang the swing, now the bird will be happy and talk with me? The bird would swing and look into the mirror, but it was total silence. The bird never sang or talked to its new owner.
Now it has been a month and the widow was very frustrated watching the bird swing and looking in the mirror but the bird still never said a word. So the lady in great anger walked into the pet shop and informed the shop’s owner that bird has not said one word in a month, I demand an answer. The man sold her a ladder. The bird needs a ladder to climb up and down, it will be so happy that the bird will start talking and never shut up. So the lady bought the ladder and placed it with the mirror, swing and sure enough the bird would climb the ladder and swing as it looked into the mirror.
The bird appeared to be getting weaker and slower. But still the bird never talked as the manger had promised.
Finally the bird just fell of the swing and died. The shop owner had sold her a mirror, a swing and a ladder and nothing had helped the poor talk-less bird.
The lady went into the pet shop and she was yelling: MY BIRD IS DEAD! MY BIRD DIED THIS MORNING. The shop owner tried to comfort the widow woman. Well, honey we tried everything… DID THE BIRD SAY ANYTHING
WHILE IT WAS DYING?
Well, yes the lady replied, the bird did say something: DON’T THEY SELL ANY BIRD FOOD DOWN THERE AT THE PET SHOP?
SEE, THE WIDOW LADY BOUGHT EVERYTHING THE BIRD NEEDED TO BE HAPPY, BUT SHE FORGOT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS TO MAKE THE BIRD TALK. She had not fed the bird anything. SHE HAD PURCHASED ALL THE WRONG STUFF. ARE WE INVESTING IN ALL THE WRONG STUFF?
STUFF: materials, things, supplies, equipment, baggage.
WE SEEM TO LOVE TO INVEST IN THE TEMPORAL STUFF… THERE ARE THINGS MORE IPORTANT THAN STUFF.
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17 (MSG) These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. 18 There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.
WHAT ARE OUR VALUE SYSTEMS? LAY ASIDE THE STUFF THAT DOES NOTMATTER:
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:1 (MSG) Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.
When I was in high school we had a super basketball player. He tended to be a little bit lazy. He was a good runner and jumper but he could do much better. The coach came out with these sand bags. The coach tied onto the player’s shoes. All week long the player had to wall, run and practice with these heavy sand bags attached to his feet. This built the players muscles as he carried the weigh. Right before the game would begin the player sat down and the coach cut off the sand bags, the weight that had been demanding more effort. The game began. The boy jumped higher. He had more rebounds. He ran faster and he had a career high in more points than ever…
HE HAD TO LAY ASIDE THE WEIGHT.
WE TEND TO WANT TO PASS THE BUCK, IT IS UP TO MY PARENTS? MY SPOUSE? MY JOB?
NOW WAIT JUST A MINUTE: JESUS IS COUNTING ON YOU!
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Sure it is easy to play the blame game, if my spouse were what they should be?
WAIT THE BIBLE IS CLEAR: YOU ARE --- YOU ARE --- YOU ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION…
YOU ARE --- HEAR ME --- YOU ARE THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD…
This is not a call based on gender or position…
GOD IS COUNTING ON YOU… YOU ARE!
1 Peter 2:9 (MSG) But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: THE HOUSE OF MANY LAMPS…
Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
I read a legend about a church in a small Southern Europe village. The church was named: “THE HOUSE OF MANY LAMPS.” Seems the church building was built in the sixteeneth century. The designer’s plan was clear. His design left no space for any chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There was no place for any lamps or lanterns to hang. For the morning service there was the direct sun light that brightened the sanctuary. But the night services would be very dark.
The designer’s plan was that each pew had a RECEPTACLE where individuals sat. As the people came they would hang
their laterns in the receptacle on their seat. As they came to worship and pray the church was bright with light.
When someone missed attending a service their place remained dark. If very several missed the night service their whole area would be dark. If many were absent the darkness was greater than the light. It was each person’s regular presence that kept the church shiny bright.
If your presence makes a difference, could your absence make a difference?
STUFF? THINGS? IT IS JUST STUFF?
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33 (NLT) Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Matthew 6:33 (MSG) Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
CONCLUSION: We had the privilege to live and later to pastor in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. There are some very poor areas and they face flooding as part of life. The flood waters were raging. We loaded several people in two canoes and rode the small boats up the main road to some houses covered in flood waters. I search for some words of wisdom as we saw the one man’s home under water. I could think of nothing to say. The man was in the other boat and he placed his head in his hands and said: IT IS JUST THINGS, IT IS JUST THINGS. WE WILL ARISE ABOVE THIS FLOOD DESTRUCTION.
When life boils down to the bottom of the pot: IT IS JUST STUFF, IT IS JUST THINGS. INVEST IN THE ETERNAL.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Would you please tell another of my work?
