Holding on to Jesus

....one's life does not consist of possessions.... Luke 12:14

They had it all. Big house. Vehicles. Latest appliances. Signature shirts. Booming business inside Clark Air Base. The oldest kid in the family was a friend of mine. I used to go to their place and I was always in awe of what and how much they possessed. Soon, Pinatubo erupted and it washed Clark Air Base, making it like a deserted desert. As soon as the Americans fled so their possessions went. For the coming months and years, this family had difficulty making ends meet. The father turned into drunkard because of life's frustrations. My friend was addicted to drugs and alcohol and did not finish college due to early marriage.

Jesus preached - one's life does not consist of possessions. Is this the reason why a house, built through the years, can just be swiped away by flood in a matter of hours. Is this the reason why a luxury car, earned through working hard counting years, will just be turned upside down by a flood in a matter of seconds? Is this the reason why any man-made infrastructure can not withstand any natural force at any given day?

Honestly, I do not know. Possessions in life are not evil. Making possessions in life as your top agenda is.

Friends, look at possessions as passers by. They come and go. You can have them now but tomorrow they may not be yours. They have your name now but tomorrow they belong to someone. You can't hold on to your possessions. All these things are temporal.

Jesus stays. He does not come and go. If we have Him in our hearts today, we will still have Him in our hearts tomorrow and any day after. You can hold on to Jesus. He is eternal.

Jesus holds on to us. May we hold on to Jesus. Amen.