|
OBSESSED?
I was fascinated by a story in the news this past week. The story came out of Sydney, Australia where police suggest
"a bicycle enthusiast became a little obsessed with his
hobby later in life after discovering 435 bikes in his house
after his death...It took police seven days to remove the
bikes along with hundreds of frames, wheels and other parts
from [his] house."
The article reports that it was a
3-bedroom house stacked to the rafters with bicycles that the
man had collected over the years. Some bicycles were bought, some were traded, and police
believe many of the bicycles were stolen.
Wow!
I can't begin to imagine what it's like to live in a
house filled with that many bicycles. I think the police were being kind when they described the
man as being "a little obsessed."
I'd say it was more than a little.
It's easy to see what the focus of that man's life was.
And while we would be quick to say that he was
ridiculous for placing so much emphasis on bicycles, is he
really any different from those of us who put other material
things at the center of our lives?
Jesus talked about a man who was
so obsessed with his "stuff" that he had to tear
down his barns and build bigger barns to keep it in (Luke
12:13-21). Let me
assure you - if the focus of your life isn't "serving
God", then it really doesn't matter what your focus is.
Whether it's bicycles, jewelry or a vacation home at
the beach or the mountains, it's all just "clutter"
that one day will be worthless.
Oh, there's one more thing about
the news article that intrigued me.
I mentioned the man's death, but I failed to tell you
how he died. He died from hitting his head after falling off a
bicycle! How
ironic (but not all that unusual) that his obsession resulted
in the hastening of his death.
Some obsessions result in death, and whenever (or
however) death comes, it means the loss of everything.
Only one obsession results in life.
May we all be able to say with Paul, "For me to
live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21)
What are you obsessed with?
Alan
Smith
|
