Living Simply 1

From Randy Alcorn's excellent book "Money, Possessions, and Eternity".

We should live more simply--and give more generously--because heaven is our home . . .

Suppose your home were in France and you were visiting the US for 80 days, living in a hotel. Furthermore, suppose there's a rule that says you can't take anything back to France on your flight home, nor can you ship anything or carry back money with you. but while you're in America, you can earn money and send deposits to you bank in France. Question: Would you fill your hotel room with expensive furinshings and extravagant wall hangings? Of course not. Why? Because your time in America is so short, and you know you can't take it with you. It's just a hotel room! If you're wise, you'll send your treasures home, knowing they'll be waiting for you when you arrive.

We're only on earth for approximately 80 years--or 60 or 40 or less. In the big picture, that's not much more than 80 days. Scripture says, "Each man's life is but a breath" (Ps 39:5). Life here is like a vapor breathed out on a cold day. Here one moment, gone the next. We're here on a short-term visa. It's about to expire! Don't spend too much time and money and energy on your hotel room when instead you can send it on ahead.