Reflection on Toy - Part 2 (Strangers, Sojourners, Pilgrims)
Yesterday I wrote about my reflection over my 2 children arguing about toys.
My daughter was upset over something her brother said, about how she will not be getting any new toys anymore. It made me realise how easy and how quick we can be to listen to negative reports. In fact, baseless negative reports.
Because, regardless of what Daniel says to Esther, he clearly has no power, authority, right or resources to stop Esther from receiving new toy from us, the parents, or from others.
It was all just empty threat. Just like everything that the evil one tries to convince us.
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As I was penning down my reflection yesterday, another train of thought crossed my mind.
To Esther, the 'toy' are the real physical, literal toys that children play with.
What about me - what is my 'toy'?
What about you - what is your 'toy'?
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Perhaps it is your health, perhaps it is your children, perhaps it is your finances...
It could be anything that is important to you. Something that if you were to lose it on your next breath, you will be deeply saddened and troubled.
Now I'm not saying that the 'toy' is evil. Or we do not need that toy.
We all need to be healthy. The Bible tells us that we are to be in health, to pray to be in health (3 John 1:2).
We all need to be financially stable. The same verse teaches us to pray to prosper in all things, just as our soul prospers.
We all need our family to be well. What does Psalm 128 tell us?
Just as Esther needs her toys. When she plays with her toys, she chills and relaxes. She has fun. She learns new things. She spends time with her brother.
Yet sometimes, without us realising it, we may have become so preoccupied with possessing these toys that at the slightest hint of losing them, we become gripped with fear.
I would like to borrow, adapt and rephrase what Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy this way - For the love of 'toys' (or more accurately 'things') is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim 6:10).
All these external things are passing away. In fact, Apostle Paul tells us that even our body, our earthly house is but a tent (2 Cor 5).
Yet we hold on tight to these possessions, fearing the possibility of losing them.
In so doing, we forgot that we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Pause for a moment and think of the saints of old, who died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, these saints were assured of the promises, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth (Heb 11:13).
These had received a greater revelation from the Lord - they did not receive any thing yet they were assured.
They died in faith, knowing and confessing that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Beloved in Christ, what is your 'toy' today?
A preacher once said something like this before - Those who cannot accept hardship in life has not received the revelation of pilgrimage.
Again, I would like to borrow, adapt and add to that - Those who cannot accept the 'loss of external things' has not received the revelation of pilgrimage.
We are so agitated when we encounter difficulty because we haven't recognised fully or embraced fully that our life on earth is but a pilgrimage. We are destined for somewhere else.
We become so fearful and torments when we lose something important to us because we have yet to learn 'the secret of living in every situation', as the Apostle Paul had learned (Phil 4:12).
Fellow sojourners and pilgrims here on earth, may we learn to regard all our toys in life dearly but lightly.
May that we will one day be able to repeat the words of the Apostle Paul from the depth of our hearts.
I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Phil 4:11-13).
