WORTHLESS THINGS or THOSE THAT LAST?
Inge and Dudley Donaldson live in Swaziland where they are a part of the Zion Bible College, dedicated to training Zionist pastors and other church leaders as well as doing whatever God brings their way. Sometimes that takes the form of providing food for widows and orphans, sometimes it is giving clothes to those desperately in need.
Inge and Dudley just sent out their Christmas newsletter and Dudley shared something from his heart that I wanted to share with you:
Long, long ago, in a faraway land, I did a foolish thing. Hard to believe, but true. The time long ago was when my son was about five years old (he turned 35 last month). The faraway land was America (it’s now far away from me). And here is the foolish thing.
As I walked through a shopping mall one weekday, I saw two young men demonstrating a new product. It was a glider made of Styrofoam. It was a huge thing—a wingspan of about five feet! These two guys stood fifty feet apart in the center of the mall and threw this huge glider back and forth. It serenely floated on air from one to the other. They did not even have to move. Then they performed loop du loops and other tricks. It was all so smooth and effortless, I was mesmerized.
There was no need for a sales pitch. I thought to myself, I have to get this for Benjamin! He would love this! Isn’t that what a loving father does for his little boy? He gets him a glider bigger than he is. Are you with me, guys? So, I got the glider. Judging from the price, you might think an ounce of Styrofoam rivaled gold in value. But I quickly pushed down the buyer’s remorse and looked forward to the joyful expression on Benjamin’s face when he saw what his dad had brought home.
There was just one little thing I had failed to consider—where was I going to fly this erstwhile Spruce Goose? I tried to fly it in the house, but was strongly encouraged to stop it this minute! I tried to fly it in our back yard, but the smallest wisp of a breeze sent it crashing to earth. I quickly realized there was a reason this glider was being demonstrated in a shopping mall. That is the only place this thing would fly! It required lots of space and no wind. The thing I was so attracted to and had to have—and paid too much for—was a waste. It was absolutely worthless.
Today it is easier than ever to accumulate worthless things. The problem is, we do not realize they are worthless. The world leads us to believe they are essential. But the world is controlled by Satan. And Satan is a liar. And so the world urges us and manipulates us, through promotion and peer influence, to keep acquiring more and more worthless things—and to purchase worthless things to give as gifts to others.
This Christmas alone, billions of dollars are being spent on worthless things. The latest toys, fashions, electronics, sporting goods, appliances, computers… Wait a minute! How can you say these are worthless things? These things enhance our lives. They bring enjoyment and even make us more productive. How can you say they are worthless?
I know, I know. I’m not trying to ruin your Christmas. Really, I’m not. I am only saying this because Jesus Christ repeatedly warned of the foolishness of accumulating things that would rust, rot, fade, break, disappear, or get left behind when you die. In light of eternity, these are worthless things, because they will not last and they have no lasting value. And pursuing such things reveals misplaced affections of the heart (Matthew 6:21). Instead, Jesus urges us to invest in things that are eternal. Like what?
Living in Africa, I cannot help but wonder what would happen if just a portion of all the money Christians spend on worthless things would instead be invested in building the kingdom of God. New missionaries are desperately needed around the world. The number of people willing to go grows smaller every year. But worse yet, literally hundreds of missionary candidates are about to give up on ever getting to their mission field because they are unable to raise the needed financial support. This is a travesty, especially in light of all the things to which we give a higher priority.
This is why I am so thankful for the many people who make up our support team. These are people who understand what Jesus meant when he said, “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Through the committed acts of giving financially and praying faithfully, they are investing in eternal things much more valuable than gold. They are helping to win souls for the kingdom.
I want to join with the Donaldsons in saying "thanks". So many of you are giving to support missions and ministry around the world, including the ministries that our family is a part of. God is using your gifts to do amazing things and for this I am forever grateful.
Merry Christmas and may your days be filled with pursuing and giving those things that really matter!
Inge and Dudley Donaldson live in Swaziland where they are a part of the Zion Bible College, dedicated to training Zionist pastors and other church leaders as well as doing whatever God brings their way. Sometimes that takes the form of providing food for widows and orphans, sometimes it is giving clothes to those desperately in need.
Inge and Dudley just sent out their Christmas newsletter and Dudley shared something from his heart that I wanted to share with you:
Long, long ago, in a faraway land, I did a foolish thing. Hard to believe, but true. The time long ago was when my son was about five years old (he turned 35 last month). The faraway land was America (it’s now far away from me). And here is the foolish thing.
As I walked through a shopping mall one weekday, I saw two young men demonstrating a new product. It was a glider made of Styrofoam. It was a huge thing—a wingspan of about five feet! These two guys stood fifty feet apart in the center of the mall and threw this huge glider back and forth. It serenely floated on air from one to the other. They did not even have to move. Then they performed loop du loops and other tricks. It was all so smooth and effortless, I was mesmerized.
There was no need for a sales pitch. I thought to myself, I have to get this for Benjamin! He would love this! Isn’t that what a loving father does for his little boy? He gets him a glider bigger than he is. Are you with me, guys? So, I got the glider. Judging from the price, you might think an ounce of Styrofoam rivaled gold in value. But I quickly pushed down the buyer’s remorse and looked forward to the joyful expression on Benjamin’s face when he saw what his dad had brought home.
There was just one little thing I had failed to consider—where was I going to fly this erstwhile Spruce Goose? I tried to fly it in the house, but was strongly encouraged to stop it this minute! I tried to fly it in our back yard, but the smallest wisp of a breeze sent it crashing to earth. I quickly realized there was a reason this glider was being demonstrated in a shopping mall. That is the only place this thing would fly! It required lots of space and no wind. The thing I was so attracted to and had to have—and paid too much for—was a waste. It was absolutely worthless.
Today it is easier than ever to accumulate worthless things. The problem is, we do not realize they are worthless. The world leads us to believe they are essential. But the world is controlled by Satan. And Satan is a liar. And so the world urges us and manipulates us, through promotion and peer influence, to keep acquiring more and more worthless things—and to purchase worthless things to give as gifts to others.
This Christmas alone, billions of dollars are being spent on worthless things. The latest toys, fashions, electronics, sporting goods, appliances, computers… Wait a minute! How can you say these are worthless things? These things enhance our lives. They bring enjoyment and even make us more productive. How can you say they are worthless?
I know, I know. I’m not trying to ruin your Christmas. Really, I’m not. I am only saying this because Jesus Christ repeatedly warned of the foolishness of accumulating things that would rust, rot, fade, break, disappear, or get left behind when you die. In light of eternity, these are worthless things, because they will not last and they have no lasting value. And pursuing such things reveals misplaced affections of the heart (Matthew 6:21). Instead, Jesus urges us to invest in things that are eternal. Like what?
Living in Africa, I cannot help but wonder what would happen if just a portion of all the money Christians spend on worthless things would instead be invested in building the kingdom of God. New missionaries are desperately needed around the world. The number of people willing to go grows smaller every year. But worse yet, literally hundreds of missionary candidates are about to give up on ever getting to their mission field because they are unable to raise the needed financial support. This is a travesty, especially in light of all the things to which we give a higher priority.
This is why I am so thankful for the many people who make up our support team. These are people who understand what Jesus meant when he said, “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Through the committed acts of giving financially and praying faithfully, they are investing in eternal things much more valuable than gold. They are helping to win souls for the kingdom.
I want to join with the Donaldsons in saying "thanks". So many of you are giving to support missions and ministry around the world, including the ministries that our family is a part of. God is using your gifts to do amazing things and for this I am forever grateful.
Merry Christmas and may your days be filled with pursuing and giving those things that really matter!
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To read more about the ministry of the Donaldsons and other ZEMA missionaries, visit their website: http://www.zema.org/
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