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Written by Keith Haney for “THE LIGHT BREAKS THROUGH” @ https://alightbreaksthrough.org
Original post @ https://alightbreaksthrough.org/what-is-really-matters-in-life/
What Really Matters In Life?
By Keith Haney
DEC 6, 2022
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6:24–25)
In this passage of Matthew, Jesus makes a distinction between temporal possessions and heavenly ones. All that we have here is prone to decay and may even be stripped from us. But if our hearts and our treasures are in heaven, we will have something solid and lasting that can never be removed from us. Jesus warns against a divided heart: it is impossible for both God and possessions to be our masters. The heart can be devoted to one master only.
To be devoted to Jesus Christ is to be emptied from the anxiety and worry that so often symbolize the fallen world in which we live. Jesus describes three sources of anxiety: our bodies (we fret over the span of our lives and the state of our health), our food (we worry over what we will eat and drink, over diets and fats and carbohydrates) and our clothes (we worry about being in fashion or out of fashion). Jesus teaches us that ‘the Gentiles’—those who have no covenant relationship to God—‘seek after all these things’ (v. 32).
But in the kingdom of heaven things are different. We have a Father who cares for us; if he gives such attention to the impersonal creation, will he not meet the needs of his own people? If we prioritize ‘the kingdom of God and his righteousness’ (v. 33), we shall lack nothing. Here is an illustration to ponder this week.
The Story:
A philosophy professor stood up before his class with a large empty mayonnaise jar. He filled the jar to the top with large rocks and asked his students if the jar was full.
His students all agreed the jar was full.
He then added small pebbles to the jar and gave the jar a bit of a shake so the pebbles could disperse among the larger rocks. Then he asked again, “Is the jar full now?”
The students agreed that the jar was still full.
The professor then poured sand into the jar to fill up all the remaining empty space.
The students then agreed again that the jar was full.
The Metaphor:
In this story, the jar represents your life, and the rocks, pebbles, and sand are the things that fill up your life.
The rocks represent the most important projects and things you have going on, such as spending time with your faith, and family and maintaining proper health. This means that if the pebbles and the sand were lost, the jar would still be full, and your life would still have meaning.
The pebbles represent the things in your life that matter, but that you could live without.
The pebbles are certain things that give your life meaning (such as your job, house, hobbies, and friendships), but they are not critical for you to have a meaningful life.
These things often come and go and are not permanent or essential to your overall well-being.
Finally, the sand represents the remaining filler things in your life and material possessions. This could be trivial, such as watching television, browsing your favorite social media site, or running errands.
These things do not mean much to your life and are likely only done to waste time or get small tasks accomplished.
The Moral:
The metaphor here is that if you start by putting sand into the jar, you will not have room for rocks or pebbles.
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P.S. (from bruce) When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !! If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ?? Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… https://godsmanforever.com
To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…
You say you are a “born again” believer… BUT is your soul “ON FIRE” for the Lord ?? If not, open this link – https://godsmanforever.com/2020/08/01/are-you-a-christian-in-gods-eyes-and-on-fire-for-the-lord-or-not/
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