Skip to main content

The One Dies with the Most Toys Wins

Matthew 6:19-21 – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroys and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasure 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 also be.”

There is a popular bumper sticker that reads, “He who dies with the most toys wins.”  We have entered into the season that celebrates the birth of our Lord.  What do most children say when you ask them, “what do you want under the Christmas tree?”  They will almost always answer, “Toys.” 

Over the next couple of weeks parents will shop to find the special toy that was requested by their child.  They will look for a particular game or the most popular toys.  It is reported that toy sales in the United States generated over 18 billion dollars in 2014.

Toys are not just for children. Adults are much the same way. We value our toys.  Boys never outgrow their toys they just get more expensive.  The sad reality is that most people believe that it is the toys or material things we possess that bring us happiness.

Jesus said in Luke 12:15, “And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’”  Our society measures success by the amount of material things we accumulate. 

Is it wrong to have nice material possessions?  No, but we must keep things in their proper place.  The Gospel of Matthew gives us the key to keeping our priorities in the right place.  “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

We must reexamine our priorities.  If God is truly first in our lives, then He will teach us how to prioritize our time and be successful in life.  The truth is that the one who dies with the most toys does not win.  Happiness is not found in our possessions. 


Matthew 16:26 reads, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” He who dies with Christ as Lord and Savior of their life “wins.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rebuilding the Broken Altar of Prayer

In Matthew 21: 12-13 , “ Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” Jesus made this declaration, “My house shall be called a house of prayer!”  I believe that God is calling us back to the altar of prayer.  For several weeks the Lord has dealt with me about rebuilding the broken altar of prayer in our personal and corporate lives.  If we are going to see spiritual breakthrough in our churches and communities then we must rebuild and return to the altar of prayer. Wayman Rogers writes, “The ministry of prayer is the most important of all ministries in the church.  Prayer creates the atmosphere and binds the powers of darkness so the gospel of Jesus can go forward and the church can prosper....
Post a Comment
Read more

The Shout of a King is Among Them

Numbers 23:21 - “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God  is  with him, And the shout of a King  is  among them.” In this passage of Scripture, the king of Moab had hired the prophet Balaam to speak a curse over the children of Israel.   He saw Israel as a threat to his kingdom.   Numbers 22:2-3 – “Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel.” When the enemy sees the people of God rising up in faith, he becomes very concerned and moves to keep us from fulfilling our assignment.   We learn in Numbers, Balaam could only speak what the Lord gave him to speak.   Instead of a curse he speaks a blessing. The enemy seeks our destruction, but God!   Listen to the conversation between God and Satan in ...
Post a Comment
Read more

They Turned Back in the Day of Battle

Psalms 78:9 – “ “The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.”             Ephraim was the younger of two sons of Joseph.   His first born was Manasseh.   It was Ephraim that received the blessing of Jacob.   The tribe of Ephraim became the largest of the ten northern tribes of Israel.   Many times the Bible used the name Ephraim to represent the whole nation of Israel.             In verse 9 they are armed and carrying bows.   They are dressed, equipped, and ready to battle.   Yet we learn that they turned back in the day of battle.   The Bible identifies this as sin.   To turn back in the day of battle was displeasing to God.               To be armed meant that they were equipped with armor, a sword, and a shield. ...
Post a Comment
Read more