A Box Of Cars

On a person’s birthday, anniversary, of other special events such as certain holidays, it is often that a person will receive a gift of some kind, often something that is known that they like. For example, growing up as a young child I absolutely loved playing with toy cars. I would have an entire box full of them of all different kinds, cars, trucks, etc, and I would line them all up side by side in a long line that would often reach three or four feet wide and give them all a push to see which one would go the furthest. My love for these you cars was well known to my family members, and pretty much every birthday, Christmas or other holiday I would receive at least one or two cars to add to my collection. I absolutely loved them and they were among my most prized possessions growing up.

But things that a person’s affection grows on will often change quite substantially as they grow into adults. Their love may turn, for example, from toy cars into actual full sized automobiles, as they collect their “dream cars” into their garages. A person may love their possessions so much that it would greatly sadden them if they were forced to give them up, but truthfully, what physical things that you can acquire during your lifetime will you be able to take with you when you die? When you are dead lying in a grace, what things will you actually be able to use in the Kingdom of Heaven? There isn’t anything, is there? All of the things of this Earth will remain on this Earth, and there nothing that we can take with us.

1 Timothy 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

We are born into this world naked, with nothing, and when we die, anything that we have collected over our years will remain behind when we are raised up into Heaven. This might be a sad thing for some people, but this is because their love for their possessions is greater than the love that they should have for the Lord, and this was certainly the case in Luke 18.

Luke 18:18-25  And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

For this man, all of his possessions were of greater importance to him than following Christ. He simply was unwilling to part with the things that he had, failing to realize that the riches that came from following Christ were of far greater value because they would last for all of eternity. 

Someone can place their love and affection on many different things, but upon becoming a Christian our love needs to remain placed firmly in our Lord Jesus, and upon heavenly things. Our love and affection needs to be in the things which are above, not the things of this Earth.

Colossians 3:1-2  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Affection is a feeling of love or strong attachment, and this type of feeling needs to be the strongest in our lives for the things of God. There is nothing else that should receive our love so greatly as the heavenly things that come from God. You can’t take this world or it’s possessions with you when you die, so put your love in a place where it really matters, and place it in Heaven, which is a whole lot more important than a box of cars.

In Christ,

Andrew