This past weekend my husband and I had a wonderful time camping in the woods. There were no cell phones, no televisions, no Internet, and no running water… and I loved every second of it! Our campsite felt secluded from the rest of the world. As I rinsed out a jar in the stream, I couldn’t help but think about the first settlers in the New World and how they, too, may have used this same stream for washing. What a simple life they lead then. Without modern conveniences, their lives revolved around friends, family and hard work. How I wish for a simpler time such as that!
In Matthew 8, Jesus tells his disciples to leave everything behind and follow him. He reminds them that the kingdom of God is far more important than things. He wants obedience from his disciples, and that obedience takes sacrifice. One of the disciples couldn’t even go home to bury his father, he had to chose to follow Christ instead. While this may seem rather harsh, I think the point Jesus was making was that we all have to choose. Are we following Christ or not? Are we willing to do whatever he asks of us or not?
Today I don’t feel as if God is asking me to leave my house, clothes, books and music behind, but perhaps he is asking me to prioritize and think about what’s really important in life.
After a weekend of camping, I’m looking at the world around me in a whole new light. All of the “things” I own really aren’t that important. I survived a camping adventure without all of these “necessities” of modern life. My husband, my family, and my friends are what matter to me. And so, maybe I need to invest more time into them, and less time into superficial things.
What about you? What is the most important thing to you in this life? And how can you re-prioritize things to make that the center?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for this reminder about the things that are really important in this life.
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