“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (1 Jn 2:15). In a quaint illustration, C.H. Spurgeon sheds light on our Lord’s comment in Matthew 6:31, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” Both string and brown wrapping paper are pretty much passé, but the story still illuminates. He comments: “I have never spent, as far as I recollect, a single penny for string and brown paper; because as a reader and writer, I buy books, and the string and brown paper are added to me. This is the idea in our text: you are to spend your strength on the high and noble purpose of glorifying God, and then the minor matters of what we eat and drink and wear are thrown in as supplements. Earthly things are but brown paper and string; and I hope you never think too much of them. Some people get so much of this brown paper and string that they glory in them, and expect us to fall down and worship them.”