Lent Day 2: Sorting out the wheat from the chaff
Mar 06 in Lent
“Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity (worthless things) and revive me in Thy ways” Psalm 119:37
Lent makes us think on the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. As I walked the dog this afternoon, I started to think about death; we all react differently to that word and yet know it will one day come to us all, its the one thing we can’t escape, the humbling aspect is that life will carry on without me.
My step-grandma turned 90 and found that it was hard for her to carry on living by herself, she’d had a couple of falls and decided it was time to make a change. She sold or gave away most of her furniture and belongings and moved in with her son. She had to determine what things meant the most to her. It made me realize that we spend a lifetime accumulating only to have to get rid of everything before leaving. We come alone and we leave alone.
I go on holiday for a couple of weeks with a suitcase and a bag and I have everything I need to live. We have too many things, the more we have the more we want and the more we need to keep to the living standard we have now reached; yet I can honestly say that it has been when I had least that I was the most generous. Why? I had nothing to lose.
Am I governed by the things I own? What do I fear losing? Am I building my treasure on earth or in Heaven? What does building my treasure in Heaven mean? Do I have a wrong attachment to things? Could I simplify my life? What would be the consequences of that?
The Bible reminds us that our life span is like a fleeting shadow, here one day gone the next. With this in mind, what would be my priority? what would I spend my time on? what legacy do I want to leave behind? what things would be important to me? Jesus invested his time in people; the Bible is all about relationships… much to ponder.
Father “…teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Psalm 90:12