Written By: Amy Nehrig | CSUS National Director
Photo By: Michael Regan

Our family was on an epic road trip through mainland Mexico. We had just scored some of the most perfect waves at Barra de la Cruz, and everyone was excited to keep heading south. 

Then suddenly, without warning, the entire car filled with smoke. Was the engine on fire? Were we about to lose everything? In a panic, we told our four boys, “Grab something and get out!”

And in that moment, priorities became crystal clear. Bob, our responsible oldest, grabbed the passports. Tripp grabbed the rain jackets because it was dumping rain. Tanner grabbed a box of cereal, and seven-year-old Curren grabbed his baby blanket. Meanwhile, David was throwing surfboards as fast as he could out of the vehicle.

Life has a way of filling up with “smoke.” Unexpected diagnoses. Financial pressure. Broken relationships. Fear. Loss. And when it does, our true priorities are revealed.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

When everything feels like it’s burning, what do we instinctively cling to? Security? Comfort Possessions? Control? Or Christ?

We cling to things that feel safe. Things that soothe us. Things that give us control. But Scripture reminds us: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. Since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

When life fills with smoke, God gently asks, “Are you holding onto what will last?”

There’s a powerful image in 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 about fire revealing what survives. It says our works will be tested by fire — and only what is built on Christ will remain.

If smoke filled your life today, what would you grab? What are you building your life around right now?

Because one day, everything temporary will fade. And only what’s rooted in Christ will remain.