By Woody Preston
“Stuff”. It’s a short but loaded word. We all have it. I have my stuff, Jan has her stuff, you have your stuff, the kids have their stuff, and that messy neighbor across the street has a garage full of stuff.
It’s our stuff and it fills everything. If you are anything like me your “stuff” probably defines, in one sense, who you are—an accumulation of things and memories gathered through a lifetime. Some personal items of value, but often just “stuff”. When we look at it and think, “I don’t really need that anymore”, or “I haven’t used that in years”, or “Maybe I can fit into that dress again someday, but probably not”, we still can’t bring ourselves to throw anything away. It’s our stuff!
It should come as no surprise that the Bible has an interesting and informative perspective on “stuff” in two stories about King David and his army of 600 men. The first mention is in I Samuel 25:13, and the second is found in I Samuel 30:24. They each give a view of David’s battle plans, how he prepared for war. It seems he always divided his army of 600 men into 400 fighters and 200 protectors of the “stuff”. To my mind 30 percent of the army is a substantial number to hold back from the actual battle, but David obviously placed great value on the “stuff” left out of the fighting.
Could it be that God, our great King and Commander of His Army (think “local church”), knows that we are not all equipped to be at the point of the spear? Some have the important task of guarding the many necessary supplies and articles of value that the church needs to win its wars, with prayer, encouragement, administration and financial support among the most important of them. Erwin Rommel, the great German Field Marshall popularly known as the “Desert Fox” of World War II, famously said an army will only succeed as far as their supply lines take them. In God’s spiritual army, the pulpit, the pastor, the deacons, the teachers, the evangelists are ordained of God to be at the forefront of the battle (Ephesians 4:11-12), while others of us will be among the “200 guarding the stuff”. The nursery worker, the grounds keeper, the bus driver, the life stage director, the door greeter, the one who keeps our church building so clean, the secretary, the coffee maker, you and me, those of us guarding the “stuff”, should be encouraged by King David’s battle plan. May God bless each one of you; those silently, faithfully, staying with the “stuff”. Our church needs you!
And now, if you will excuse me, I have some personal “stuff” I need to examine again. Maybe I’ll get rid of some of the clutter this time!