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

They had the house.  They had the wine cellar.  They had the business, the cars, the jewelry, the vacations.  All night long, the talk around the dinner party table centered on pleasure.

This evening took place recently, but the Bible addressed the scene thousands of years ago when it explained, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.  These are not from the Father, but are from the world” (1 John 2:15-16).

For those living life for the here and now, without any guarantee about what’s coming after this life, it makes sense to grab as much as you can, even stepping over or on others, because, as the old saying goes, “You only live once.”

There’s a huge contrast though, for the person who lives in the here and now as a follower of Jesus Christ.  If you’re a follower of Christ, your life is precious and eternal. “God paid a high price for you,” the Bible says, “so don’t be enslaved by the world” (1 Corinthians 7:23).

There is nothing wrong with owning possessions. God gives us things to use and to even enjoy.  But we aren’t to be absorbed by them. “Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them,” says the Bible, “For this world as we know it will soon pass away” (1 Corinthians 7:30).

The follower of Christ is meant for more.

Resource Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:30-31