Lessons from Moving

I remember looking at our house in Jonesboro about a month ago and dreading the upcoming move. While in the process I thought about the lessons we have learned from this experience.

We really have a lot of stuff and "junk." Regena, the children, and I have made a number of moves together but this was the first time we moved so quickly over such a distance. Having three teenagers, our menagerie that qualifies us as "pack rats" and a preacher with his library makes moving a huge under taking. We started boxing up our things and it never seemed to end. I had over forty boxes from my office; we had things in our closets, on bookcases, in the garage, and in the attic. I realized before we started loading up the 24 foot moving truck that we were not going to get everything in one move. After Regena and the children moved I boxed the things left behind. I rented another 24 foot truck and it was full. I drove here with my van crammed full and there is a pick load in our garage that will eventually come. Moving makes one realize how much they have, how much needs thrown out, sold, or organized.

The same goes for us spiritually. We can get so busy working, buying, and living our lives that we can forget about God. "For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of Gentiles – when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not urn with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you" (1 Peter 4.3-4). Peter speaks of those that believe life is simply an excuse to have a party and get drunk. Not everything may be evil but we can get too busy accumulating wealth, recreating, or working. Some times we just need to look at our priorities and simplify our lives.

Another lesson is the temporary nature of this life. It is a humbling experience to place all your material possessions in one or two trucks. To think that one wreck, fire, or a burglar could take all you have away. Even the house we live in will one day belong to someone else. We are here for a short time and then vanish away.

Jesus pointed this out in Luke 12.15, "Take heed and beware to covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." We need to be thankful for what we have, show good stewardship, and our purpose our lives to serve God. The only thing we possess that is eternal is our soul. The kingdom of God is spiritual and not physical in nature, Romans 14.17.

As I was traveling I thought about the distance between Jonesboro and Owensboro. The trip took me about five and ½ hours. We live in a time when we can travel a great distance in a relatively short time. It took settlers months or even years to travel from one end of this country to the other. Now we can do so within hours or days.

A lot of the communities we travel through do not have Christians there. In a city of over eleven million people, New York City, there are a few congregations. Millions need to hear the gospel. Our task is to do what we can to reach the lost in this great big world.

Finally, moving is a matter of faith. To totally change your life, take your children from the environment they are used too, and move takes faith. I do not believe this applies y to preachers only but every family that moves from one place to another believing it was the right thing to do.

Most of the important decisions we make are based on faith. Getting married requires faith in God and each other. Child rearing for the Christian is often a matter of faith. Do we