Are You Replacing God with Stuff? - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - April 3, 2025
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Mark 8:36
Years ago, our family was best friends with a family where our kids were the same ages and loved spending time together. Much better off financially, at first, they had fun with us, but soon we began feeling the weight of trying to keep up with the costly activities they could afford, but were a struggle for us.
Even though they were gracious and included us at times, keeping up began to take up more and more of our time and effort, pulling us away from seeking God. We discovered how it’s way too easy to get caught up trying to keep up with those who have more resources.
So as our friends pursued material possessions and worldly success, we were longing for more of God, with more of His leading and presence in our lives. Because we had different goals for our lives, we made the decision to pursue more of God, which meant we spent less time with our friends, focusing more on following God’s direction for our lives.
Like Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
It was difficult because we loved them and enjoyed many activities together, but the pull to keep up was too distracting from how we believed God was leading us in life.
As much as we enjoyed their company and our kids their kids’ company, the way were headed, was leading us all away from spending more time with God. As a wife and mother, Proverbs 14:1 warns, “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.”
As Christians we want to keep in the forefront of our minds that our souls matters but our stuff doesn’t. Like Isaiah 55:2 reminds us, “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.”
Our souls are eternal while our stuff is temporary, as Psalm 39:6 explains: “Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.”
After my dad passed away, it was very clear when walking into his study, where everything was left behind, that he didn’t take any earthly possessions with him, like 1 Timothy 6:7 reminds us, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”
But, his soul as Jesus assured us in John 10:28 is saved and living eternally with God,” I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
We don’t have to be concerned about our possessions, cars, houses, and more that we may lose in life because they aren't going to last forever. Like the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.”
When we choose God over our stuff, like Paul, we will see that nothing else in life matters more than having Christ.
Like Romans 8:38-39 reminds us, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Let’s pray:
Dear Father, Lead us each day to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and the eternal life we receive through accepting Him as our Savior. Help us to not lose sight of what is most important in life and to hold on loosely to our stuff here on earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Markus Spiske
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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