building what matters

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from 1 Corinthians 3:5-23. In this passage, Paul tells us about what is important. He says that we're building our lives on a foundation, and we build different things on that foundation. If you build worthwhile things, they will be like stones, and will survive the "fire" into the next life. But if you build foolishly, and make things that don't matter, they'll burn up and, even though you yourself will be saved, your "building" will not survive.

So what sort of things will survive that "fire"? Well, some of that answer is easy. The love you show other people will survive. The holiness that God creates in your life will survive. But things like your nice home, your car, your money... those things won't survive. Which is why Jesus's words make so much sense - don't store up treasure where it can be destroyed. Rather, store it up where nothing can touch it - in heaven, in other people.

How have you spent this year so far? Storing up earthly treasure, or heavenly? Have you invested your time and money into others, building that house of stone that will survive into eternity? Or worrying too much about finances, which are here today and gone tomorrow?

Let's make an effort, for the rest of 2018, to focus more of our time, energy, talent, and resources on what really matters. Because that's the best investment we can make.

God, thanks for teaching us where to invest wisely.