A Packing List

As I wrap up packing for a somewhat busy couple trips, I just wanted to share some quick thoughts. Packing for a trip can be a challenging thing, can't it? You write out a list, stuff your suitcase, and go. But you may ask "Did I bring enough? Did I bring too much? Did I forget something? Did I forget a kid at home at Christmastime?"

But do you ever realize what things you don't even think about bringing? In all of my travels, I've never thought "I need to pack my couch" or, "I need to leave room in my suitcase for my microwave."

Clothes? Check. Fridge? Nah.

In other words, we typically know what we need and what we don't when we travel. While I might struggle on bringing two pairs of long pants or one, I don't stress over bringing ski pants to Aruba, and I certainly don't even consider bringing my car with me on a plane flight to somewhere for a five day trip.

But I know we all can and have forgotten that we're all on our way somewhere eternal. Just like I have no use for a baseball bat on a scuba diving trip, storing up treasures that will rot in eternity is equally useless, and then some, times a million. And yet, I hate to imagine the amount of time spent on such worthless endeavors.

Jesus gave us a very clear command:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21

In the culture at the time for example, clothing was extremely valuable by the way. And the average person had very little of it. If one moth came in and ate holes in it, then that person was out a lot of, if not all of, their wardrobe.

And yet, Jesus was telling them that, while those things are of some value of course, God knows that they would need those (Matthew 6:25-33).

Instead they ought to put their primary energies and focuses on the things of God, eternal things, things that won't burn up in the end. See what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15:

"Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."

So, may we not get too caught up in the short term, and instead focus on 'packing' for eternity.

Off to finish packing. Now, where in my suitcase can I squeeze this table...