Stuff

My wife, Sheena, and I have been going through a bunch of old boxes. Almost all of them are full of things we acquired prior to getting married. Sometimes it’s embarrassing to see what we’ve spent money on. We can’t help but think of the sizable down payment we’d have on a house had we saved all that money instead. But at the time one of us just had to have the latest *NSYNC album.

There are, however, a good number of items I’m pleased to have brought into our marriage. I had great expectations that my wife would be as excited about each item as I was: if not more.

But not a single one impressed her.

Actually, for the most part, she’s eager for the day we can get rid of them.

Now, how many times do we come to God with all these things, this stuff, expecting Him to use them, and be as impressed with them as we are?

One day Jesus said to a woman frantic to provide stuff for him: “Only one thing is needed.” (For the whole account you can turn to Luke 10:38-42)

When Jesus spoke those words, the one thing needed is nothing that we can make with our hands. The one thing needed is our attentive heart: our life. It’s not a meal, an apple computer, or twelve of the hottest tracks of 2000. These things impress men, but not God.

Are we still trying to offer God the things that matter to us, and expect Him to use them?

He wants to use us. Jesus didn’t come to earth to redeem stuff so that the things of this world can be used by God. He came and redeemed us so that we can be made into the people God wants us to be.

Perhaps it’s time to take stock once again of all our stuff, especially the things that we’re trying to force fit into God’s plans, maybe then we’ll see there’s a whole lot of stuff we need to get rid of.


Like when I got married and brought into the marriage all this stuff expecting Sheena to be excited about it, at least as excited as I was, if not more, only God isn’t as excited about our stuff as we are.

Jesus said: “Only one thing is needed.”

When Jesus said “only one thing is needed,” He wasn’t talking about my apple computer. Or any of the stuff we offer God with expectations of his appreciation.

In truth, when Jesus spoke those words, He was speaking with a woman who though that Jesus would be impressed with a nice meal. Now I would be impressed with a nice meal, but not Jesus.

Let’s read the story found in Luke 10: 38-42

Instead of just coming as He made us, or as He is making us to be, we come with our accomplishments and what we have made. That doesn’t impress God. He wants what He has made.

Perhaps it’s time to take stalk once again of al our stuff, especially the stuff that we’re trying to force fit into God’s plans, maybe then we’ll see there are whole lot of things we need to get rid of.