What Do We Gather and Hold?

I will admit that I like to collect things. One of my collections is my marbles. I haven’t lost mine (yet). I also have many books, and Hershey tins. On my computer I accumulate notes from sermons or theological writings of John Piper, Alistair Begg, or other reformed theologians.

People tend to collect wealth, things, and closets full of clothes. Some desire a collection of degrees and honors. Others collect memories and capture them in pictures or jpegs.

Dangerous Accumulation Number One: Teachers

The Apostle Paul warned about some who are careless about their sources for truth. They wander off into myths taught by teachers that tell them what they want to hear. Itching ears are scratched by false teachers.

2 Timothy 4:1-4 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

Dangerous Accumulation Number Two: Wealth

Jesus warned of another type of dangerous accumulation. It is the accumulation of wealth without thinking about the purpose(s) of wealth and the neglect of things of far greater importance.

Luke 12:16-20 “And he told them a parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’”

Proverbs 11:28 “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.”

Ecclesiastes 5:12-14 “Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand.”

How to Identify a Follower of Jesus

Many of the things we accumulate are the result of fear. Perhaps we would do well to recognize this propensity and go outside and watch a sparrow for awhile.

Luke 12:6-7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Five Minute Friday

This post is part of the weekly Five-Minute Friday link-up.

All scripture passages are from the English Standard Version except as otherwise noted.