What are you collecting?

 

Matthew 6:21 [21]for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 13:22 [22]And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Habang naglilinis ako ng bahay, doon ko na realize na through the years, andami kong naipong "collections" and most of them ay napabayaan na. They were important noong panahong tinitipon sila but through the years, other priorities arrive and they're forgotten. 

Marami akong collection ng mga libro. Hindi pa diyan kasama ang mga epubs at pdf collection. Nakatipon ako ng mga science and educational books (na ang iba ay sinisimulan kong ipamigay), theology books (ipamimigay ko lang ang mga duplicates, otherwise they will stay), at mga interest books (recipes, fitness and others). Mayroong mga photocopies and mayroong mga handwritten summaries ng mga books. Prior sa pagkakaroon ng phones and mga reading apps, I collect books. Everytime I go to Naga, I made sure to buy 2 or 3 books sa mga second hand bookstores. Ngayong uso na ang mga ebooks, hindi na sila masyadong pansin. May mga nasira na and in general dagdag linisin lang. Other than the Bibles and Theological books, marami ang pwedeng idispose.

Then andami kong natipong fitness equipment. May binili, may pina-welding. They reflect changing interests from lifting weights to calisthenics. I have no intention of giving them away but hustle sa pagtatago. 

Then there are the plants. Mayroon kaming CNS collection (na napababayaan na), mga crotons, shrubs, etc. Si Misis ay nagma-maintain pa ng vegetable garden. Masyadong mainit at matigas ang lupa upang magbungkal. Sa sandaling umulan, balik vegetable garden ulit. These few months, mas interested ako sa vegetable garden kaysa sa CNS garden dahil hindi naman nakakain ang cactus 😅. Masaya siyang tipunin dati pero ngayon may ibang interes na umaagaw sa aking pansin. 

What's my point? 

Nang simulan ang iba't ibang collection na ito, hindi ko naisip na aabot sa libo ang aking mga books at plants. I just buy one at a time over a long period of time. Before long dumami na sila to the point na mahirap na silang i-maintain. Somewhere along the way, I need to make a decision to put a stop to adding to them. 

My creative juices are flowing today kaya sunod-sunod ang aking reflection posts. While cleaning them, naunawaan ko ang sinasabi ni Jesus sa Matthew 6:21 at 13:22. So I decide to write this down before I forget.

During the process of collection, ang puso ko ay nasa mga ito. Every book bought, every plant mined and every equipment ordered brings joy to my heart. I am on an active hunt for things to add to my collection. Thankfully this doesn't take the place of God in my heart but I finally understand Matt 6:21. There are things that can compete with God's place in our hearts. Maaaring hindi books or plants but something else. 

Just how much money, how many properties or how much power are enough? Maraming Christians sa pagnanais na magkaroon ng maraming pera, pag-aari at kapangyarihan ang dini-Diyos ang mga ito. Just like my collection, it doesn't start that way. It starts innocently. Jusy one or two and then more and then more and more. Yung Sunday na araw ng pagsamba ay pinagpalit sa pagtipon ng kayamanang nawawala. Naghahanap buhay para sa pamilya while ironically hindi na nakakasalamuha ang pamilya sa paghahanap ng pera. Nakalalasing ang kapangyarihan at nakalilimutan ang pagiging tao. 

Kung ano ang mahalaga sa iyo, naroon ang iyong puso at kung ang koleksiyon mo ng kayamanan ay mas mahalaga kaysa Diyos, my friend you're an idolator, whether you accept it or not. 

And of course naunawaan ko rin ang Matthew 13:22. Ang paunti-unting pagtitipon can come to a point that it consumes your life. Thankfully I didn't come to a point na ang koleksiyon ko ng halaman ay nagdidikta sa aking buhay but there are many other collections that are more addictive. The pursuit for wealth, power and pleasure can be so addictive that it chokes the spiritual life. Always, "just a bit more and it will be enough," but it is never enough. There are always new things to add to the collection. There is always something new and novel. There is always something to add. Before long you crash under the weight of your collection. You have wealth, power and pleasure but you're not satisfied. There is no meaning. 

My collections didn't bring me to either of the danger but they do provide a word picture of what will happen if you collect the wrong stuff with the wrong attitude. 

So the question to ask is, "What are you collecting?" Are you collecting things that have eternal value? Or things that have no lasting value. Don't be a Solomon who has it all yet at the end can only cry, "Meaningless, all are meaningless." Start collecting eternal values today. In the words of Paul, "Redeem the time." Or in Jesus' words, "treasures in heaven."

Manatiling nakapokus sa biyaya. Huwag ninyong hayaang nakawin ng mga huwad na guro ang inyong karapatang mag-isip ng doktrina.

(Kung gusto ninyo ng karagdagang impormasyon, bisitahin ninyo kami. May pagtitipon kami sa Dahat, kada Linggo, kada 1:00-3:00 pm. Sana manampalataya kayo at kita-kita tayo.

Isang mahalagang paalala: ang mga blogs na ito ay personal kong opinyon at eksposisyon; hindi ito opisyal na pananaw ng Partido Christian Bible Church. Kung nais ninyong malaman ang kanilang opisyal na posisyun, magtanong kayo sa mga matanda ng simbahan. Ang Nieto Bible Page ay isang hiwalay na ministri mula sa PCBC at independiyente rito. Nakikipagtipon ako sa PCBC, pero may personal akong kumbiksiyon sa mga bagay. Bagama't miyembro (muli) ako ng teaching and ruling leadership ng PCBC, anumang mabasa ninyo rito ay hiwalay sa kanila. Anumang nasusulat ay aking pananagutan. 

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