"This is My Stuff!"

Michael Rayburn was an elder in Mesa, Arizona. One morning he preached to his congregation and he told this story:

"At the plant where I work, we had a man named Steve who visited our garbage bin about once a week. Steve was a street person. He wore rags, never shaved or bathed your typical vagabond. The man would come to our trash bin because we had copper wire and aluminum cans. He would gather them up, place them carefully in his shopping cart, and move on.

Suddenly, Steve stopped coming. We wondered why. Then about a week later, I saw him again on a street corner.

He stood beside his shopping basket. The cart was full to overflowing with his collection of junk. The cart was piled high; the sheer volume of his trash hid him from view. It was so heavy, he couldn't even push it any more.

I had an idea. Wanting to help him, I went by the bank and drew out $200. I then went back to where Steve was standing. I greeted him, but he didn't act like he knew me.

I asked him how much he would take for that pile of garbage. He didn't want to sell. I offered him $25. He said, "No! This is my stuff." I offered him $50. Again he said "No!" I went up to $100 and $150 the answer was the same. Finally, I pulled out the $200 and said, "Steve I am going to offer you this $200 for that stuff you have in your basket.

This time Steve grew agitated. He backed up, waving his hands. "No! No! No!" Steve screamed. "This is my stuff! You leave me alone! Why don't you go out and get your own stuff?"

The elder, Michael, who told that story, added, "I didn't want his stuff. It just hurt me to see him bogged down with so much junk that it weighed him down and kept him from moving.

And that is the way God is. He doesn't want our junk, but it bothers Him that we are so busy collecting stuff and keeping it safe, that we are bogged down. We can't move or do anything valuable in this world because we are too busy with our stuff."

Deuteronomy 8:11-18 (New International Version)

11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.

12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,

13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied,

14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

15 He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.

16 He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.

17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me."

18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

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