When Shiny Things Steal Your Steps
Now, listen here, friend, come grab hold of your sweet, iced tea an’ pull up one o’ them there good front porch chairs that sits sturdier than an onery ol’ mule refusin’ to be crossin’ a creek ‘cause this here Scripture comes at us like a wise ol’ barn owl swoopin’ down to snatch a lil’ ol’ unsuspectin’ field mouse. Paul starts name‑droppin in Philemon 1:23-24, mentionin’ Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke. Can you even imagine bein’ on that there list? I can just hear ol’ Aristarchus introducin’ himself at the church potluck sayin’, “Nice to meet you. You may be recognizin’ me from one of Paul’s letters.” An’ bless his ol’ ambitious little heart.
But tucked in right on that there list is Demas, and, friend, his story takes a quick turn a whole lot faster than a lil’ ol’ squirrel realizin’ the bird feeder is done plumb empty. In Philemon, he’s a coworker of Paul. But by the time we get to 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul says, “Demas has deserted me ‘cause he loves the things of this life.” That there’s Bible talk for, “Yeah, he ran off chasin’ all the shiny, fun stuff.”
And that there’s where 1 John 2:15-17 gits to settlin’ in like a wise ol’ raccoon sittin’ on a tree stump keepin’ close watch of his surroundin’s. This here verse tells us, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you… This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” This here ol’ world offers cravin’s, pride, and pleasures that git to sparklin’ like a lil’ ol’ fishin’ lure danglin in front of a hungry fish. But it all fades away after a lil’ while. Every doggone bit of it. God’s blessin’s are good, 1 Timothy 6:17 tells us, but when the blessings become the boss, we’ve got ourselves a real problem.
Ol’ Demas teaches us that misplaced love can git to pullin’ a person right off the trail quicker than a sly ol’ fox slippin’ on into a henhouse. We’ve got to be holdin’ the things of this here life loosely, like carryin’ a bunch o’ eggs in a shaky, broken basket. You’ve gotta’ be travellin’ real light. Stayin’ real ready. Keepin’ your heart tied real tight to Jesus, not to all that there stuff that’s gonna’ be rustin’, rottenin’, or runnin’ off.
Father, help me to love You more than anything this world can ever offer to me. Keep my priorities real straight, keep my heart real steady, and keep my eyes real fixed on what is gonna’ be lastin’ forever. Be teachin’ me to be holdin’ blessin’s lightly and to be holdin’ on to You real tightly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well, now, mercy sakes, friend, as you git to leavin’ this lil’ ol’ porch moment behind, remember that the world’s treasures may git to shinin’ real bright, but they also start to fadin’ a whole lot faster than mornin’ dew on a grassy field in a cow pasture. You gotta’ be keepin’ your grip held real tight on Jesus, not on all the real purty, glitterin’ trinkets that keep on tuggin’ at your heart. You gotta be walkin’ real light, stayin’ real faithful, and keep on rememberin’ that the only riches that are worth keepin’ are the ones that are gonna’ be followin’ you right on into eternity with Jesus.
With joy,
Gwen
