Have you ever noticed how many toys and games and clothes and STUFF we collect? Maybe your closet is so full you can’t fit anything else in there! Maybe you have toys you haven’t played with in years!

The world we live in is always trying to sell us more stuff. New games, new toys, new clothes—there’s always something newer and better! But Jesus warned us not to focus on accumulating stuff. He said that life isn’t about how much you own!

Jesus was revealing something about STUFF when He was on this earth that today’s scientists have backed up with research: When we get stuff, it often makes us want more stuff. The more stuff we get, the more we get used to it—which makes us want EVEN MORE stuff. If we see others with stuff we want, we become less happy with all the stuff we do have. This is EXACTLY what Jesus was warning about!

So how can you avoid the unhappiness of becoming a “stuff-collector”? The best way to keep your focus on God instead of on stuff is to be generous with your money! When you give part of your allowance or birthday money to God, it reminds you that God is more important than toys and games!

Take Action: Look around your room. Do you have toys you don’t play with anymore? Clothes that don’t fit? Books you’ve outgrown? Ask your parents if you can give some of these things away to kids who need them! When you give away things you’re not using, you’re showing that stuff isn’t the most important thing in your life. Plus, you’ll make other kids really happy! Remember, we can’t take our stuff with us when we die, but we can store up treasures in heaven by being generous!