Read Matthew 6:19–21
I once read that the average American is exposed to about three hundred advertisements a day. Today that number has increased many times over.
The Internet article from which I read that fact was cluttered with advertisements, most of them with little interest to the reader. Pop-up ads, brash banners, and flashing digital attractions all lead us into a world of exaggerated make-believe, convincing us that we simply cannot live without the stuff!
Such bombardments do a number on us. Some of the results are obvious. They stimulate our curiosity, they urge us to click on an ad for the next best thing, they make us aware of what is available—they shape our tastes, habits, and customs. Believe it or not, Internet advertising is a multi-billion-dollar-a-year business.
It works because there is a subliminal message that detonates deep down inside our heads—discontentment. That relentless force prompts a restless drive for something else, for more...or better...or bigger. It’s shouting, “You need more stuff!”
A long time ago, Jesus warned us about becoming attracted to “stuff.”
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Matthew 6:19–21)
Just thinking about our Lord’s words calms my anxious mind. Jesus has a way of putting everything in proper perspective, doesn’t He? Go there...today. Then go there...tomorrow. And during those times, travel light. You can’t imagine the contentment He’ll bring as you follow His lead.
Devotional content taken from Good Morning, Lord...Can We Talk? by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2018. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.
The full devotional can be purchased at https://www.tyndale.com/p/good-morning-lord-can-we-talk/9781414380681.
