Say This
Any family that has taken a family vacation has probably experienced the frustration of overpacking. Whether standing behind a jam-packed minivan with 5 more things to load, or frantically moving items out of an overweight bag at the airport, trying to pack everything you think you’ll need is one of the biggest stresses of traveling.
Ask This
What are some “must haves” when we travel? (Clothes/toothbrush/food/ etc.) What are some things that are nice to have, but aren’t really necessary? (Beach chairs/toys/golf clubs/bikes/etc.)
Say This
Sometimes it’s not simply what you pack that is important, but also making sure that you pack things in the right order to maximize space. Our lives are the same way, and I want to show you a cool example that will help us see this in a clear way.
What You’ll Need
A medium size glass jar or vase. Some fine playground sand, 6-8 golf balls. (You will need to experiment with this in advance to have the right ratio of sand and golf balls.)
Say This
Let’s say that this jar represents your life. The golf balls represent the most important things in your life. What would some of those be? (Our faith, family, marriage, health, friendships)
The sand represents everything else we deal with in our everyday lives. What are some examples of these things? (Hobbies/sports, social media, having stuff, paying bills, going to work/school)
Do This
Watch what happens when we put the sand in first. The sand fits with no problem, but there is not room for all of the golf balls. This is what we often do - we fill our lives with lots of stuff (often good things), but eventually there is not enough room for the important things in our lives.
Watch what happens when we put the golf balls (The important things) in the jar first. There is still plenty of room for the sand. This is how God intends for our lives to be. If we keep the important things in our lives at the center, God can expand our capacity to allow more things into our lives.
Say This
So the principle of the jar is simple: If we focus on the important things of life, the small ones will take care of themselves. Let’s look at what Jesus had to say about this important principle in Matthew 6: 25-33:
Read Matthew 6:25-22:
That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Say This
Jesus tells us that instead of focusing on the insignificant things of life, we should instead seek the Kingdom of God, and should focus on living righteously. If you establish these as your top priorities in life, then God has promised to take care of and provide for all the other little things that we often focus on. When we reverse the order and fill our jar full of the details of life, we leave little room for the Kingdom of God, and the less important things “dominate our thoughts.”
Ask This
What are the most important things in your life? In the life of our family? What are some “sand” items that our family sometimes allows to get in the way of our relationship with God? What is one specific thing each of us can do to keep Christ at the center of our lives?
Pray This
Dear God, you tell us in Matthew 6 to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else.” Lord, forgive us for the times that we let the less important things of life get in the way of what you want to do in our lives. Help our family to keep our relationship with Christ, and our relationships with each other at the center of our lives and family. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.