A Lesson From Plastic Filing Boxes

By Katherine Kehler
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“That Day will appear with fire, and the fire will test everyone’s work to show what sort of work it was. If the building that has been put on the foundation still stands, the builder will get a reward. But if the building is burned up, the builder will suffer loss. The builder will be saved, but it will be as one who escaped from a fire.â€? 1 Corinthians 3:11-12

We had been at the office of our accountant and signed our annual tax papers. Whew! Another year was taken care of.  As we were putting the past  year’s boxes of papers away, we realized that we should get rid of  the old financial and ministry boxes we had been saving.  After all, we really only needed to keep them for seven years and some were dated back to 1995. 

So we carried the old plastic boxes into the garage.  And then I started sorting through all the papers. 

As I went through each box, I thought, “Each one of these boxes represents one whole year of work – 365 days of buying and selling, investing, Real Estate papers from moving, ministry projects started and done, statistics and results of those projects and much more.�

I felt quite sad realizing that these plastic boxes contained the paper work for all we had done during those years. And now they were going into garbage bags and would be shredded or burned.

Then the wonderful thought came to me,
 
                   “Only one life; will soon be past;
                    Only what’s done for Christ will last.�

That thought was very encouraging!  Our work was not all for nothing. On that Day, when God will judge our works—what really has eternal value—there will much that will not be burned. He knows how much of our work was done with eternity in our hearts and minds.

But that same day, the Lord reminded me that even during these years when we are slowing down a bit because our energy level is not what it used to be, we still need to make each day count for eternity. 

We have a pile of ashes in our backyard now–where we burned papers from several years.  Yes, a good lesson from plastic filing boxes. Make eternal values a priority.

Father, thank you for bringing this to our attention. Only what is done for Christ will last. And although Marvin and I are slowing down a little, don’t let us become couch potatoes.  Help us to do what counts for eternity—every day. Amen. 

Related articles:

Home Coming
http://www.thoughtsaboutgod.com/meditating/kk_homecoming.htm

We are God’s Hands and Feet
http://www.thoughtsaboutgod.com/meditating/st_godshands.htmYou can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2008/05/17/kk_filing-box/

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Katherine J. Kehler, an innovator, entrepreneur and writer has launched and developed many successful ministries and websites.
Together with her husband, Marvin, Katherine directs Thoughts about God