“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”        – John 10:10b

During my mom’s final few years of life, she began unloading her material possessions. Each time my sisters and I visited my parents’ home, we were reminded to take home an antique clock or stake a claim on one of the antique radios, vintage Hummel figurines, or Christmas village houses. 

With her earthly journey winding down, Mom understood that her possessions would not be accompanying her to Heaven. She understood Paul’s words from 2 Corinthians 4:18b: “For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” Though Mom couldn’t take these possessions with her, she experienced joy knowing that her beloved antique European stove and other heirlooms would continue to be enjoyed by her children. 

While these gifts were and are appreciated, they are just as transient for my sisters and me. We’ll enjoy them for a season and then pass them on to our children. Eventually, a figurine may break, an old radio may be discarded because it no longer works, or the Christmas Village may be lost in a fire. Ultimately, these things are all temporary.

When Jesus came to give us life—abundant lives—he was focused on spiritual matters. He traveled lightly and told his apostles to do the same. Our abundant, Spirit-filled lives begin the moment we become a Christian. He wants us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God—not once we get to Heaven, but today. He wants us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds not when our earthly lives are over, but this very moment (See Romans 12:1-2). Eternal life is not something that begins once I die—it’s a journey I began when I became a follower of Christ.

While I appreciate the various family heirlooms I’ve received, they are fleeting. If the thieves don’t get them, the moths and rust will (See Matthew 6:19-21). The real gift my parents gave me was taking me to worship services every Sunday. They modeled kindness, servanthood, and other lasting spiritual attributes for me—things unseen. Mom’s beloved figurines will not last, but my memories of her caring for special needs children have shaped me and will go with me into eternity. 

What unseen, eternal things are you leaving your children? Are you helping them store up treasures in Heaven? Are you modeling the abundant life Jesus calls us to live?