Holding On to Nothingness. Holding On, Part 1
"Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your
word." (Ps 119:37 NIV)
Fort William Henry. It looked so strong, so unbreakable, so meant to protect the
Permaquid region and survive for eternity.
But then that's also what they thought when they built the former fort, Fort
Charles, and it had been destroyed by a joint coalition between the French and
the Indians, just a few years earlier …
But this new fort was different. It had taken two thirds of the budget of the
colony of Massachusetts to build. It would most certainly last!
However when attacked four years later by the same culprits, it was discovered
that this seemingly strong fort had an Achilles' heel. The mortar used to build
the strong stone walls was of poor quality (Even in those days they took
shortcuts!) And it could not withstand the bomb attacks. It also didn't help
that the garrisons' water supply lay outside the fort. A mere oversight,
perhaps, but between the two, it cost them their fort. Once again the English
had to abandon Permaquid.
One thing about the British, they don't get discouraged easily! In 1729 they
built yet another fort to protect the Permaquid area. They called it Fort
Frederick, and this one lasted until 1769, when the fort was deemed useless, due
to the construction of Fort Pownall further east of Permaquid, and to the fall
of Quebec. Abandoned, Fort Frederick fell into disarray, and was eventually torn
down in 1775 by the local inhabitants. Their reason? Being on the eve of the
commencement of the Revolutionary War in the United States, they wanted to
discourage the British from ever occupying it again!
We would never have discovered these ruins if we hadn't taken a little detour.
It was mentioned nowhere in the tourist guides or on the Internet. What seemed
so important to the past wasn't deemed really worthwhile after all!
As I was pondering this, I had to ask myself: How much time do we waste on
"worthless" pursuits? Should our to-do lists really be our priority in life? Do
we even remember what we accomplished two days ago? We rush back and forth at
dizzying speeds, but what do we have left to commemorate it all when the rush is
over and we try to survive our retirement years on meager provisions?
And what about our worship? Is it exempt from worthless priorities?
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his
tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our
Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows
in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James
1:26-27 NIV)
Just attending church won't cut it. Just giving our tithes and offerings won't
get us to the mark. Self-centered religion is worthless when the needs of God's
children are being ignored. How many of the things we hold so dearly are not
everlasting! "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the
more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should
have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." (Matt 23:23 NIV)
Is our service at work worthwhile to others? If we are just working for the
money, it won't be: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working
for the Lord, not for men…"( Col 3:23 NIV)
What about love? Do we love our spouses the way Jesus tells us to? Do we put his
or her needs first? And what about our kids? Do we even try to understand them?
It all comes down to this: "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
(Col 3:17 NIV)
The same is true with our worship towards God. If it is self-seeking, it's
worthless. If it is a means to reach heaven, we've missed the mark.
So many of the things we do, think or admire are truly worthless! So many of
these things won't make it to eternity! What are we truly holding on to? Is
there anything in the bunch that is worthy of eternity? Which will be lasting?
Which will evaporate to nothingness?
One thing is certain, love is the foundation to eternity. This one is truly
worthy of our full attention! "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I
have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you
are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35 NIV)
Even the beautiful sand castles I used to build with my children have
disappeared into nothingness, but the time spent with my kids while engaged in
this activity will linger in my memories forever!
Rob Chaffart