Earthly Things

Colossians 3:2

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."

     Things on earth will soon pass away.  These are temporary and finite.  Heavenly and spiritual things will last an eternity.  So why do we hold on to our houses?  Our cars?  Our things that ultimately means nothing in an eternal prospective?  We pay more than we earn on a house that is way to big for what we need, just to "keep up with the Jones'."  We have car payments that we cannot pay for and have to cut back on our other bills.  We go into debt.  And for what?  Are we taking anything with us when we leave this temporary world?  What can we take with us anyway?

     We take with us what we cannot see or touch.  We either take love and forgiveness, or hate and bitterness.  We either take compassion or we take mercilessness with us.  What are you taking with you when you are and the end of your earthly life?  Patience or intolerance?  Kindness or backbiting?  Whatever we take with us is who we really are in our earthly lives.  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control.  Against such there is no law." ~Galatians 5:22-23.  We need to take with us these things, from the Spirit of truth.  Fruit that will last an eternity and not rot or spoil.

     The next time you talk badly about someone, remember, you'll take that with you when you die.  The next time you love someone in spite of them hurting you, remember, you'll take that with you.  When we go to our Judgment, we will have to face God, no matter if we have done well or not.  Take the fruit of the Spirit with you and show God's mercy and love to one another, because you can't take your five-bedroom, three-bath home on a golf-course by the beach, or your Mercedes-Benz into the next life beyond the rainbow.