by Jim Supp, Campus Pastor @ MBC Loudoun

It is funny what God will use to illustrate biblical truth and bring it to bear on our lives. He will try almost anything to shape us into his image and to shake us free from our love of sin and this world. So you’re thinking – ‘So what is God using to teach you this right now?’ Good question. First, let me say that I am a bit of a perfectionist and in most of life I like things just so. Everything has its place and it should generally be kept there. If it is broken it should be fixed or replaced. Tolerating things in an unfixed state brings a sort of dissonance that distracts from all of life. It just has to be made right. — So we have this 2008 Kia Sedona minivan. We got the deal of the century on it from a friend who was in the car business and it has everything. Leather heated seats, tilt mirrors when you shift into reverse, back up sensors, DVD player and on it goes – you get the picture. I never thought I’d get so excited about a minivan. The problem is that after we acquired this wonderful vehicle, God has decided, in very practical terms, to teach us what it means to ‘not store up for yourselves treasure on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.’ I have always believed that I should store up for myself treasure in heaven – ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ (Matthew 6:19-21) Well, I have discovered how easy it is to say that until some of your earthly treasure starts to get destroyed. My wife and I have each taken our turn at inflicting damage. She drove into the garage with the tailgate UP and blew out the back window. I opened the garage door but proceeded to back out BEFORE the door was all the way up. For me the worst part isn’t the big stuff that you just get fixed and try to forget about. It is actually the little stuff that you struggle with whether or not to get fixed. Do I want to pay the big old deductible to get that little dent fixed, or do I live with it and let it irritate me every time I see it – which is every day. Later on in Matthew 6 Jesus says in verse 25 “isn’t life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes.” – or minivans. Yes, Lord, I hear you. I’m still not sure if I am going to get this latest dent fixed. I do know however that God is using it right now to teach me that I need to refocus on laying up treasure in heaven and not worry so much about stuff here on earth. God bless.