The Cycle of Obsession
September 2nd, 2007I heard about a man in Sydney, Australia who was, to say the least, obsessed with bicycles. When he died the police found 435 bicycles in his house. It took them a week to remove the bikes and hundreds of parts from the house. No doubt some of the bikes were purchased; some were traded; and some were stolen.
It is easy to see what the focus of this man’s life was. We would quickly say that it is ridiculous to put so much emphasis on bicycles of all things. Yet, is that really any different from other things that we put at the center of our lives — in place of God?
Jesus spoke of a man who was so obsessed with his things that he had to tear down his barns and build bigger ones in order to keep it (Luke 12:13-21). The truth is that if our focus is not on God, it makes little difference where it is — bicycles, vacation homes, jewelry — it is all just clutter that we will leave behind.
The irony in the bicycle story is the way the man died. You guessed it — he fell off of a bike and landed on his head. His obsession resulted in his death!
Death means the loss of everything in this world. When a wealthy man died, someone asked how much money he left behind. “All of it,” was the answer. There is only one obsession that lasts — “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
Keep The Light Burning!
Perry Greene
