Luke 12:15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

A number of years ago I attended the funeral of a family member. As is the case for most of us, that gave me a chance to visit with some family members that I had not seen for a while. It was good to see them…at least most of them. I spent about 20 minutes with one relative, and all she talked about the entire time was money: how much she made, how much things cost, how much other people made. She was about to quit her job and relocate and she told me, “I won’t take any job that pays less than six figures.” I was kind of tired of listening to this, so I told her I was making seven figures. She got a surprised look on her face, until I told her that two of those figures were after the decimal point.

We have a tendency to become preoccupied with the perishable things. I am no different. But I am also grateful that God has brought me to the understanding that life is not all about money or what you have. Sure, I still get upset about money sometimes. Then God reminds me how richly blessed I am.

This time of year has people putting a lot of emphasis on consumerism and possessions. It becomes a competition about who can give the most or biggest or best presents. But no one is going to win that competition. No one will ever top the gift that we are supposed to be remembering, the one whose birth we are preparing to celebrate.

1 Peter 1:18–19  For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

It started with that birth in Bethlehem, promised by God right after people fell into sin. The world waited a long time for His coming, just as we now wait to celebrate His birth and wait for His coming again. God was faithful then, and He still is today.

While money is not the most important thing in my life, I do believe that you should be a responsible manager of that which God has entrusted to you. That’s why Cheryl and I have always given more than 10% of our income to the work of the church. We have been blessed with material wealth that meets our needs and then some. But that is not what our life is about. We know that “things” don’t last. They wear out. They are perishable. And that says a lot about their value. However, God has in Christ given us something that will last forever.

1 Peter 1:3–4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you