Stuff, Desire, and the Love of God

As I look around my office right now, I realize I have a lot of stuff. And, at present, that stuff is only partially organized. One semester has wound down, another is beginning. One season of the church has ended, and a new focus is about to begin. Plus, as I have recently mentioned, I have begun a new initiative to train pastors internationally. So, my desk (and extended desk) have piles related to various aspects of ministry – church, seminary, and training – as well as some personal notes here and there as well.

But looking past the papers, I see knickknacks such as a bobblehead bear with a golf ball and a few penguins in various decor from the days where I exclusively used Linux (the mascot is a penguin). I have a few momentos of my days playing baseball, a few pictures of my family, a set of headphones, a flashlight, and other stuff. Really, I have a lot of stuff. And that is just one part of one room. Behind me I have a ton of books on a bookshelf and I have continuously worked to fill those shelves with book I have read this year. I spend a lot of money on books and stuff. (Stuff must be a technical term, I am using it so much!) Oh, and, of course, I am typing this blog on my computer which has six books holding up a monitor with a few post its on it. Plus the keyboard, mouse, mouse pad, speakers, and general office “stuff” like pens, tape, kleenex, etc all of which is atop a desk which has a chair for me to sit. Just stuff – and a lot of it.

Why am I seemingly rambling about the stuff around me? This past week my friend, Reggie, preached a sermon entitled, “The Love God Hates.” His primary text was 1 John 2 which, in part, speaks of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, or as the ESV renders it the “pride of possessions.” Now, I don’t think many of us would list a pair of scissors as one of our prime possessions, but the fact is, that everything I see around me is something that was purchased (either with money or with time – as in something made). Reggie’s point was that we often put our focus on what the world offers (stuff like computers and books) rather than God. When we do lose focus, we not only distract ourselves from God, but we alienate ourselves from Him as well.

Of course, none of the “stuff” I have mentioned is necessarily bad. After all, how could I blog without a device connected to the internet (i.e. a computer, phone, tablet, etc.). How can I learn if without reading (and the Bible is one of the books on my desk – actually the one closest to me). As has often been expressed in similar manner, “it is not that we have stuff, it is if the stuff has us.” Reggie’s words on Sunday were a good reminder that we must be on guard of what we truly desire because even the stuff we have is not really ours (or won’t be someday). That great new phone – it will one day be trash. That new outfit – it may be out of style before long. That new car – it will sit in a junk yard several years down the road. After all, it is just stuff.

As humans we love stuff. But humans are not stuff. We are of value – not always to one another, but always, ALWAYS to God. The Bible makes that abundantly clear. And what is more amazing is that while humans usually discard stuff we no longer “love” because it is used or broken, God loves us because we are abused and broken. Romans 5.8 is one of the best verses in the Bible because it shows that God is not just another god. He is a “But God” kind of God. “But God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5.8). God values us over all of the stuff He made. And He loves us even when we value our stuff over Him.

The God of the Bible deserves our affection. The God of the Bible deserves our devotion. The God of the Bible deserves us – totally and completely. You and I have a lot of stuff around us, but let us never lose sight that whatever we may have or hope to have in this world cannot begin to measure against how much God longs for us to be with Him.

Before this post leaves your mind, take a moment to look at the stuff around you. Take a moment to identify your stuff by name, then label all of it collectively as “stuff.” Finally, make the choice to realize that your stuff can be good, but it should never be your god because our stuff can never love us like the true God can and has. Let your desire before for God, not for stuff. If you and I will commit to desiring Him, our desires will eventually become God’s desires. And when our desires match His, He has promised to fulfill all of those desires for our sake and His glory (Psalm 37.4).