Shiny New Things

We have all had that experience where some shiny brand new "thing" has captured our mind, perhaps even our heart.

We think about having something, we do some research, we save our money, we plan for the purchase, and the day comes and we buy it. I don't know, maybe that new car, new laptop, new mobile device, house, TV, bicycle, cell phone, lawn mower, those new high efficiency washer and dryers, etc...

We enjoy this brand new very cool thing. We take care of it, we love it, we tell others about it. But what happens over time? The newness fades, our enjoyment fades, maybe it even stops working correctly, needs to be repaired, or eventually even breaks beyond repair. We sell it or throw it out. The enjoyment had faded a while back.

In the meantime something else, or sometimes several other things have caught our attention, we begin thinking about them, researching them, saving our money, and so on...

Those things we see all around, those things we want, those things that catch our attention, our imagination, and sometimes even so much more, maybe our hearts... over time they always fade, sometimes very fast, sometimes slow, but it is inevitable those shiny new "things" fade, they break, and come to an end. The new things become old and worn out things, broken things, our interest in them fades and comes to an end. Sometimes we don't even notice because our focus is now on other shiny new things.

It is good to stop and notice this very real and all too familiar pattern in our lives. It is good to remind ourselves every once in a while: "things" are temporary. Period.

But God is Not. God is forever. Glory without end. Enjoyment without end. Joy forever.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.
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So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:6,18)

The overall context for these verses is our physical body (2 Corinthians 4:1-18) but I think the principal can be extended to the entire physical world. I have experienced this and I bet you have too.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying things. God even blesses us with things and the enjoyment of a shiny new thing but what matters is what our eyes are fixed on. What has captured our heart? What new things are competing with "the light of the knowledge of God's Glory" in our hearts?

Just as much as I am sharing this with you I am writing this to myself right now, this day, as a reminder, as a challenge, as encouragement. Don't let shiny new things push aside the shine of God's Glory in our lives in Christ.



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