S4 E30 - Just Playing With The Box

It happens every year with young children. You get them the things on their wishlist for Christmas, but then later on Christmas morning, you find them not playing with the gift - but the box it came in. 

We are not unlike children. God designed this world and the things he has made to direct us back to the real gift, himself. Unfortunately, mankind would rather ignore the gift of God, and settle for playing with worthless idols instead. Don't just play with the box, the gift of God is far better. 

#SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Transcript

What if I told you that God could be seen in the most ordinary things every day? 

What if I told you that every day, ordinary events could teach us extraordinary eternal truths? Would you believe me? 

 Welcome back to season 4 of the Set Your Mind Above Podcast! My name is BJ Sipe, and I am a Christian, a preacher, a husband, and a father. And I’m excited to share a few moments together with you learning some important lessons from the simplest things. Thanks for tuning in! 

I have always been a huge fan of Christmas. For as long as I can remember, it has been my favorite holiday. I love everything about Christmas: the traditions, the decorations, the stories, the music, the movies, the giving, all of it. I’m the guy that everyone can’t stand, you know, the one who started listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween this year. The neighbor who will keep his Christmas lights on the house likely until the end of January. That’s me. I’m that guy. I never thought the holiday could get better than it already was, but then we had children, and it got infinitely better. Experiencing the joy of Christmas for yourself is wonderful, but getting to witness it on the face of your very young children? That’s an experience that is unlike any other. This upcoming week, the kids will wake early to the smell of coffee and cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning and come barreling out of their rooms to see what might be waiting for them underneath the tree. I’m so thankful that God has blessed us with the ability to do for our children, because Kylie and I love getting the chance to spoil them just a little around this time of the year. And they are wonderful children when it comes to the gifts themselves – they are always patient, always thankful, and always willing to share their new toys with each other. But I am also anticipating something to happen again this year that happened last year – as a matter of fact, I’m almost positive that if you’ve ever had young children that you have experienced this as well. So, let me set the scene to explain what it is I’m talking about. The sun rises and the time has come. The tree is lit, and the coffee is strong. The kids, already full of life and energy, anxiously await their turn to open their presents – and tear the wrapping off like animals. The gasps and squeals of glee drown out the soft holiday classics playing in the background. Once all the presents are done and it’s time to clean up, you gather up all the wrapping paper and take it to the trash. After refilling your coffee cup, you walk back into the family room fully anticipating seeing your children playing joyfully with their brand-new costumes and toys. As you round the corner, your mouth drops to the floor, and you shake your head. Why? Because your children are not playing with the new, thoughtful gift you have given to them. No, no – they are playing with the box that it came in. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? There sits the toy on the ground, meanwhile the box has been turned into a car, a fort, a drawing board, or whatever else the imagination of our children has made it. As you look on, you sit back and wonder to yourself, “Why in the world did I ever go to the effort of getting them this expensive, intentional gift when they’re just going to ignore it and play with the worthless box that it came in?” Oh well, kids will be kids – I suppose. 

Here is the deal though – as mankind, I believe that we have the tendency to do the exact same thing as the children of God. We miss the gift entirely and find ourselves enamored with the box. What do I mean by that? Well, to explain further, let’s travel to the first chapter of the book of Romans. It’s a lengthy section of text, but we will spend a good bit of time discussing it. Let’s examine vv. 18-25 together: “For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.” 

Our God has created a beautiful, powerful, and awe-inspiring world – there is certainly no doubt of that. But I want you to pay close attention to what Paul says – the things which God has made are not to be glorified themselves. Instead, God has created everything in such a way to direct us back towards him – to reveal his glory, his splendor, and his majesty. In the things that have been created, we can see the love of God, the wisdom of God, and the justice of God among other attributes of his nature. This world is wonderful and beautiful, but in comparison to God and who he is – it’s worthless. God has made the world in such a way to point us towards the real gift – himself & his love. Solomon would say the very same thing in Ecclesiastes 3:14, “I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him.” God is the real gift. He has given himself to mankind, so that we can become like him and share in his glory and live in his love. 

The problem is, as mankind often we completely ignore the gift of God himself. We would rather play with the box. This is what Paul brings out in the text of Romans 1 – that people worship and serve that which has been created instead of the Creator. Think about all the pursuits of mankind. We are enamored with ourselves. We are enamored with nature. We are enamored with all of things in this life that are intended to direct us back to God. But we ignore that, instead, mankind becomes consumed with these created things as though they were the gift itself. That which has been made replaces the author of life, and become worthless idols. And herein lies the crucial lesson we must heed and pay attention to. Psalm 135:15-18 says the following: “The idols of the nations are of silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear; indeed, there is no breath in their mouths. Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them.”

You will become like what you worship. If you pursue worthless idols & worship and serve the creation over the creator, then your mind and heart will be set upon worthless things. But if you worship and serve the real gift, the Creator, then we can share in his divine nature that the things which are created were designed to direct us back to. My friends, don’t play with the box. The gift is far, far better. 

This has been the Set Your Mind Above Podcast, season 4 episode 30 – and I’m so thankful that you decided to tune in today! A new episode is dropped most Fridays, so be sure to tune in next week.  Also, if you’re able to, go ahead and like and subscribe to the podcast, as well as share it with someone else – it would help me greatly in trying to reach others. And more than anything, always remember the following: know that I love you, that God loves you, and may we all each and every day set our minds above.