[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during October 2025]
I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.
Philippians 3 v8 [KJV]
It is surely no coincidence when a word of Scripture fits our plans or experiences. When Charles Spurgeon chose to quote that verse when writing his series of daily reflections[1] he had, of course, no idea about what I would be doing some 160 years later but nevertheless the verse did turn out to be appropriate.
This past week I had the task of disposing of ‘treasures’ collected over a period of some 35 years or, in some cases, even longer. When a household is blessed with generous storage space there is a temptation to hang on to things whose usefulness has passed or acquire other items whose value is only anticipated and may never be actually materialised. In a variation of Parkinson’s Law[2] it seems that possessions accumulate to fill the space available for their storage.
Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil – this is a gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 5 v19 [NIVUK]
Every item has a story – a memory of how it was acquired or who was associated with it. Perhaps that is why it is so difficult to part with many of them. Procrastination rules!
By contrast we recall that Jesus had very few earthly possessions, particularly during those periods of his life as recorded in the gospels. No doubt he would have had access to family assets whilst growing up and there would have been the accoutrements of his time spent with Joseph the carpenter but these were not allowed to become hindrances to his peripatetic ministry. Instead, he gave instructions to his disciples to travel light:
Take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt.
Mark 6 v8-9 [NIVUK]
We need to be wary of those things which would distract us in our walk of faith. Jesus gave some advice to the crowds that were listening to him:
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions.”
Luke 12 v15 [ESVUK]
The members of the early church had an attitude to possessions that is different to our own society’s expectations.
All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
Acts 2 v44-45 [NIVUK]
Are our possessions tools in the Master’s service? Are we holding them for him or just holding on to them?
We lose what on ourselves we spend;
we have as treasure without end
whatever, Lord, to thee we lend, who givest all
Christopher Wordsworth 1863
References:
[1] ‘Morning and Evening’, Charles Spurgeon, 14th October.
[2] “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”, Cyril Parkinson, 1955.
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Last week’s reflection: Is Life Burdensome?
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys