Who would have thought a book of
stamps would buy what I wanted?
As an additional marketing tactic
to attract customers, Piggly Wiggly grocery stores offered Greenback stamps. A
small machine was located just above the cash register. The cashier punched in
the amount the customer had purchased, and the machine distributed stamps.
Consumers then licked the stamps and placed them in books.
Mom didn’t particularly like to
lick stamps, so she gave me that job with the reward of getting the stamps. The
Greenback company had a store in my hometown and distributed a catalog showing
items available for purchase. For a young boy who loved to spend money he
didn’t have or should have saved, this arrangement suited me fine.
As the blank books began filling,
I’d peruse the catalog to see what I wanted. I wasn’t interested in household
items—only those things that suited a young boy’s fancy. The joy I felt as I
made my way to the Greenback store was only dampened if the store was out of my
planned purchase.
At the time, I hadn’t learned what
Jesus taught. I still thought things could make me happy. Years later, I’m
still working on learning the lesson since it goes against the grain of my
human nature.
Of course, Jesus didn’t teach that things
were wrong; He just warned against the attachment and disappointment effect
they often have. When considering a purchase or investment, I’ve learned to
consider several things.
Can I use the item in God’s Kingdom
work? If I can’t—even in some small way--maybe it’s not the best thing for me
to invest my money in.
Will purchasing this item bring me
closer to God? If it’s a Bible, the answer is easy; if it’s a flat-screened
television or an all-terrain vehicle, I might have to be ingenious.
Could the item I’m buying steal my
focus from God? The answer to this question prompts me to consider the item’s
long-term possibilities.
Is buying the item sinful? While
some things are morally neutral but carry the potential to become sinful, some
things are just sinful—plain and simple.
Jesus was right. Life shouldn’t be
measured by what or how much we have. Life is about him and our relationship to
him.
Measure the value of what you have
by whom you’re related to.
Father, may we learn that in You we
have all we’ll ever need.
If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
