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Mark 10:17-31

Lost in the Clutter

We are presently painting the inside of our house. Call us crazy, I know. The more we paint the more I agree with that assessment. It is amazing how much has to be done before a drop of paint actually hits the wall. One pre-painting challenge is to move furniture and in some cases that means unloading bookcases or packing up crockery etc from cabinets so that they can be moved. One thing that we have said to each other on a couple of occasions is “We have too much stuff!” But, we are reluctant to throw some of it out because it has sentimental value, like the ceramic dragon that Nana made, and which sits in the bottom of the buffet. We seem to have a lot of clutter.

I guess when we think about it most of us live a cluttered life in a cluttered society. Nothing seems simple these days. Many of us more mature members of society need someone under 15 years of age to show us how to work our DVD players, digital cameras, mobile phones etc. Younger people seem to be born with an innate knowledge about these things. What a life we live. By world standards we are right up there with the best of them. Compared to many people in our world we are exceedingly rich. We have so much in the way of material blessings that we don't know what to do with it all or how to use it all to its full advantage. And in spite of all this materialism (clutter) there are many people who live terribly unsatisfactory lives.

A rich young ruler who lived a couple of thousand years ago also knew what it was like to be rich, powerful and privileged, and yet be lacking something. He asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life. Jesus' answer was simple, “Sell everything you have ….. and come follow me!” (Mark 10: 17) In other words, “De-clutter your life and get the right priority!” We don't inherit eternal life by being poor, or by being rich, but by trusting in Jesus as our Saviour and Lord. Following Him brings a new perspective to life. If you haven't tried it yet, why not? You won't regret it. If you are a follower, then beware of clutter in your life! David Niven