Though balloons as we know them were invented in 1824, the concept has been around for much longer. Originally, balloons were made out of dried animal intestines and pig bladders. Michael Faraday invented rubber balloons for the purpose of a science experiment, and eventually balloons were adapted for play and celebration. They began to be mass produced in the 1930s, right around the time they were first inflated with helium.
While balloons are relatively inexpensive today, their value to young people remains unrivaled. Who hasn’t seen a child play “keepy uppy” or happily hold the string of a balloon and watch it follow them around? Unfortunately, we have also all seen the untimely demise of these toys, whether a child accidentally pops them during play or inadvertently lets go of the string and watches them drift into the sky. While balloons bring great delight, their lifespans are often brief.
One of our motivators to be generous ought to be time, or more specifically, our lack of time. We’re not owed a future in this world. Nothing on earth will last forever. We are stewards of fading resources. This is why, in Psalm 39:4, the songwriter prays to the Creator,
“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is” (NIV).
This is a prayer for perspective. As Christians, we no longer fear death because we know it’s not the end, yet we still struggle to acknowledge the finite nature of our lives. Compared to all of human history, our time on earth is a mere blip—an average of 28,616 days (for Americans, at least). This is why the brother of Jesus wrote that we are…
“… a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14 NIV).
In the next verses of Psalm 39, we see how we should handle our possessions in light of our fleetingness.
“Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be” (Psalm 39:5–6 NIV).
Balloons are temporary, and so are our lives. We tend to stockpile wealth because we believe it will guarantee our security, but this is akin to blowing up a balloon and assuming it will stay filled forever. The air will always seep out over time, and despite our efforts, we can’t keep hold of any of our possessions once we die.
When believers become hoarders, we are essentially transferring our trust from the Lord to the resources themselves. Financial security will not help us evade the brevity of life.
The Lord has blessed us with resources. We can’t take them with us. Thus, we can choose to be generous.
“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you” (Psalm 39:7 NIV).
