Some of us are savers. We hold on to things because of their usefulness, their sentimental value, or just in case we might need them someday. Others are thrower-outers, constantly clearing space, getting rid of anything that feels unnecessary. But no matter which camp you fall into, the reality is the same—every physical thing we own is in the process of turning into garbage.
The shoes on your feet will eventually wear out. The car you drive will one day be scrap metal. Even the house you live in—if time has its way—will crumble. The treasures we pass down from generation to generation will someday break, fade, or be forgotten. Nothing we own is permanent. This isn’t meant to be depressing; it’s just reality. Everything in this world is temporary. Ecclesiastes 1:4 puts it bluntly: “Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.”
Yet, even the earth itself is wearing out. Isaiah 51:6 says, “The heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But My salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.”
That’s not to say we shouldn’t enjoy the things we have. But it does mean we should be careful where we place our hope. Jesus warns in Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
We can hoard or purge all we want, but in the end, everything material fades. The only things that last are the things of God—the love we share, the people we serve, the faith we cultivate.
So maybe the real question isn’t What do I keep? or What do I throw away? but What am I investing in that will actually last?
Fix your eyes on what is eternal. Everything else is just in the process of turning into garbage.
Peace,
Nick
The shoes on your feet will eventually wear out. The car you drive will one day be scrap metal. Even the house you live in—if time has its way—will crumble. The treasures we pass down from generation to generation will someday break, fade, or be forgotten. Nothing we own is permanent. This isn’t meant to be depressing; it’s just reality. Everything in this world is temporary. Ecclesiastes 1:4 puts it bluntly: “Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.”
Yet, even the earth itself is wearing out. Isaiah 51:6 says, “The heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But My salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.”
That’s not to say we shouldn’t enjoy the things we have. But it does mean we should be careful where we place our hope. Jesus warns in Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
We can hoard or purge all we want, but in the end, everything material fades. The only things that last are the things of God—the love we share, the people we serve, the faith we cultivate.
So maybe the real question isn’t What do I keep? or What do I throw away? but What am I investing in that will actually last?
Fix your eyes on what is eternal. Everything else is just in the process of turning into garbage.
Peace,
Nick