I was reading a book recently that was written by a missionary pilot. Back in the early days of aviation on the mission field, there were still many things to be ironed out, and as he was of an enquiring turn of mind, he thought of many innovations that were adopted. The planes that were first used were very small light craft, and every pound of weight counted, especially as they came down on jungle airstrips where there was no spare space to manoeuvre.  The planes first came with plush comfortable seats which weighed quite heavy, so they were replaced with lighter ones. Then there were the fancy mudguards on the wheels which collected mud as they landed on wet airstrips….more unnecessary weight, so they were taken off as well.

Once these things were gone, they were able to take more cargo and passengers. This reminds us of the nice but unnecessary things we accumulate in our life. Things that are not bad in themselves and that add to our comfort or pleasure, but are not really necessary as far as our souls are concerned.

As we get older many of these things have to go in any case as we contemplate downsizing to move into a retirement village or rest home. We will have to take stock then, so why not begin now and concentrate on the things that really matter as far as God is concerned?