The Pastor's Pen

Boxes

boxes4

This year, Keri and I celebrate 19 years of marriage. Within these 19 years, we have moved home 10 times. As you can imagine we have packed many boxes together.

Of the 14 years we have spent in India we have moved 5 times. Our move to Abu Dhabi will be our 11th move in total. Packing boxes never gets easier, especially when you have collected three children along the way and all their earthly possessions.

While packing our home into boxes, Keri mentioned that this move may probably be our most difficult yet. Our age may be a factor, but I think what Keri was alluding too, was the fact that we have accumulated so much junk that we need to get rid of, or pack in boxes. The airline that we are travelling with, from Mumbai to Abu Dhabi allows us 30kg each for check-in luggage and 7kg carry-on. Initially we thought that 185kg would be sufficient for us as a family. But as we started packing and weighing we have realised that this amount does not even scratch the surface of our luggage needs.  Graciously Greg offered us his staff cargo concession, which allows us a further 250kg for a really good deal. This allowance has enabled us to pack all my theological books plus some of the homeschooling books, but still this is not enough!

We have had to sit down as a family and make some hard decisions as to what we need and want we don’t, what we keep and what we give away. Of course this has been especially hard for my children. But we have found much encouragement in the scriptures together.

We have learnt that the only reason we have anything is because God has given it to us (Eccl. 5:19). Everything comes from His hand, and we should see ourselves as undeserving of such kindness and as dependent upon Him in every situation in life, whether we are poor or rich. When God blesses us with possessions, it is our duty and privilege to use it wisely, to give back to God from what He has given to us, to help those who don’t have as much, and to look upon our possessions with humility. We are not the owners; we are simply the stewards of all that God has chosen to bless us with. We were designed for more than the trivial pursuit of possessions.

R.C. Sproul points out that, “Too often, the more people possess, the more they are puffed up with pride. They attribute their success to themselves, instead of humbly remembering that all things come from God’s hand. They become greedy and do everything they can to fill their wallets, even if it means neglecting those who are needy. Sometimes they become so consumed by their lust for material wealth that they become paranoid and abuse those they think might be a threat to their security. Such degeneration happens easily and quickly, for wealth can be a stumbling block to many. Few are those who can be both rich and godly, which was Jesus’ point when He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” Jesus warned those who loved their wealth to “take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” – Luke 12:15.

Please pray for us as a family, that we would take heed and beware of covetousness. Pray that we would find our joy and satisfaction not in the abundance of things, but in our precious Saviour who shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins, and rose again so that we could have eternal life with Him forever. Pray for us as we pray for you that ‘God would be most glorified through us as we are most satisfied in Him’.

 

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  (Heb 13:5)