The More You Get...

Material goods and physical possessions are THE focal point of human thought. Our carnal minds tend to see only the superficial. Men are measured by their physical abilities and success is judged by material assets. There is seldom a day that passes without us wishing we had this or that, usually in abundance. We even misunderstand those things we count as necessities.

The Lord has promised to provide for our needs, even more than He does for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field Matthew (6:26-33). Our priority needs to be seeking God and His righteousness. But even here, we will respond to the physical. Too often our prayers are filled with words of thanks for things. "Thank You for our home, our food, our clothing, and all the many blessings You have given us."

These are good words, as are the words, "Thank You, most of all for Jesus, who died on the cross for us." But are we seeing the true picture? Are we improperly regarding the gifts of Him, who loves us, and failing to properly recognize the Love of Him Who Gives?

Lord, may we not be guilty of placing more value and esteem on the gifts than on the Giver!

Piggy Banking

When I first entered the ministry, I was doing youth ministry. Within a few years I had developed good friendships with many who married and began families. When their children were delivered, I always went to the hospital to visit. But I always wanted to take a little something as a gift, rather than go empty handed.

Very early on I settled on giving little ceramic banks. After all, I was in the Saving business. Sometimes they were piggy banks, or other animals. Sometimes I would give a football or other theme bank. I tried to make the banks fit the family. Sometimes it was hard to find the perfect bank, and I would settle for what I could find.

The giving of banks has become such a tradition that the moms often wonder what bank they will get from me. Now days if I here that one of our members is expecting, I will begin seeking the right bank long before the baby makes an appearance. I have on a couple of occasions, been able to buy banks in homelands of the mother, who came to the States with her groom. One came from Shanghai and was a monkey, matching the year of the Chinese zodiac in which the child was born. The other was from Belarus and was a figure of a little girl in traditional dress from that country.

I sometimes wish I had kept a list of the names of the children I had given banks at their birth, but I did not. I wonder how long it will be before I am able to present a bank to a child born to a parent that was also a recipient of a bank from me at their birth.

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