Thought for the day
I was fascinated by a story in the news a while back. The story came out of Sydney, Australia where police suggest "a bicycle enthusiast became a little obsessed with his hobby later in life after discovering 435 bikes in his house after his death...It took police seven days to remove the bikes along with hundreds of frames, wheels and other parts from [his] house."
The article reports that it was a 3-bedroom house stacked to the rafters with bicycles that the man had collected over the years. Some bicycles were bought, some were traded, and police believe many of the bicycles were stolen.
Wow! I can't begin to imagine what's it's like to live in a house filled with that many bicycles. I think the police were being kind when they described the man as being "a little obsessed." I'd say it was more than a little. It's easy to see what the focus of that man's life was. And while we would be quick to say that he was ridiculous for placing so much emphasis on bicycles, is he really any different from those of us who put other material things at the center of our lives?
Jesus talked about a man who was so obsessed with his "stuff" that he had to tear down his barns and build bigger barns to keep it in (Luke 12:13-21). Let me assure you - if the focus of your life isn't "serving God", then it really doesn't matter what your focus is. Whether it's bicycles, jewelry or a vacation home at the beach or the mountains, it's all just "clutter" that one day will be worthless.
Oh, there's one more thing about the news article that intrigued me. I mentioned the man's death, but I failed to tell you how he died. He died after hitting his head after falling off a bicycle! How ironic (but not all that unusual) that his obsession resulted in the hastening of his death. Some obsessions result in death, and whenever (or however) death comes, it means the loss of everything. Only one obsession results in life.
May we all be able to say with Paul, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21)What are you obsessed with?
Verses
Galatians 6:9
Let us not get tired doing good. We will harvest at the right time if we do not drop out.
Exodus 15:26
He said, "You must obey the Lord, your God. You must do what the Lord said is right. You must obey all his laws and keep his rules. If you do these things, I will not give you any of the sicknesses I gave the Egyptians. I am the Lord. I am the Lord who heals you."
1 John 4:4
My dear children, you belong to God. So you have defeated them because God's Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world.
1 Kings 8:54
And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
Psalm 34:9-10
Keep yourselves in the fear of the Lord, all you his saints; for those who do so will have no need of anything. The young lions are in need and have no food; but those who are looking to the Lord will have every good thing.
Prayer
Father, help us to keep a Biblical perspective as we consider the brief duration of our life on this earth in light of eternity. Our lives are not meaningless nor are they insignificant for we acknowledge that You have brought purpose to our lives. It will take us a lifetime on this earth to fully experience and understand Your purpose, but we do seek to trust and obey You so that we know Your plan and so that we honor You. Amen.
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