Treasure Hunt

Posted under Uncategorized on September 11th, 2008 by with no responses 

The Weekly Walk“Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

— Matthew 6:20 — 21

Only two things are going to heaven with you. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Luke 21:33). God’s Word is going to heaven and God’s people (by God’s grace) are going to heaven. Just those two things are going to last forever.

Your heart is with your treasure. Your treasure is with your heart. What you love most becomes treasure to you. What you treasure most becomes what you love. Those two are inseparable.

If your treasure is your career, your heart will be at work. Your treasure absorbs most of your time. If your treasure is your reputation, you come out of your seat when someone says something negative about you. Your reputation is your first love.

Perhaps you treasure your possessions. You could see one of your kids run off into the world and might lose some sleep about it, but if a hundred dollars flew out the window of your car, you would cry about it for a year. Your priorities are wrong.

If your treasure is your hidden pleasure, your private-whatever, your heart will be captive to that secret. Your treasure will be the focus of our imagination. If any of the above pursuits are your treasure, they are receiving from you your best resources¬” time and energy.

When the chips are down, you’re going to go with your treasure. Your treasure serves as your default mind-set. When the sun goes down and you’ve come to the end of another day and you lay your head on a pillow, you think, I’ve got my treasure taken care of, because it’s got my heart.

I wonder if any of this hits home. Are your greatest joys family joys? Are the things that delight your heart the successes of your family, the arrival of your children, and the key milestones in their lives? We all have different family makeups, but whatever your family is, aren’t they your greatest joy?

What are your greatest burdens? My greatest burdens are those of my family. Why? Because I treasure them. Everything is on the line when my family is hurting.

Most people would agree that their family is their treasure. So why the gap? Why aren’t their hearts always there? Some might say, “I couldn’t agree with you more, James. God forgive me, but I really do spend my time on stuff that is not my priority. I say I love my wife and kids, but spend most of my time with them on cell phone calls for work. I plan an evening home with the family and then sit for hours in front of a TV or computer screen, downloading useless entertainment or information. I just get sucked into it. How can I change? How can I make my family my treasure? I really want them to be my number one human priority.”

Well, you’ve got the first step down: admit it’s true — they are the treasure but you’re not treating them that way. I’m not a super-smart guy, but here are two other things I know for sure will help: Be passionate about them and tell them so. Study them as the most fascinating people you know. Show them you are becoming an expert in all things them. Make your time with them the subject of your greatest prayers and planning. Make your understanding of them your highest ambition and your greatest goal. When you do that, you will begin to experience your greatest joys being with your treasured family. Then, express your commitment to them. At the center of a family-first priority is commitment. Sure, you’re going to have conflict and challenges but underneath it all is your total, unswerving, unalterable, lifetime choice to do life together under God.

 

James MacDonald – Walk in the Word 2008

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