X Marks the spot
The other day, my oldest grandson and I were talking about a surprise for him. He was so excited and got really serious and brought me this treasure map he had and told me that we had to get in the car and use this map to find the surprise. While I was laughing at this grown 4-year-old, he then said something that caught my attention: “It’s not real, it’s got stickers on it.” All I could think to myself was how many adults, myself included, would miss the truth in that statement.
For so many of us, we too have a treasure map that we are hoping will lead us to all the treasures of life. We think if we can just gain a fat bank account, status on social media, maybe a new house or even just a good feeling, then we will have our treasures. Now, of course, these things in and of themselves aren’t bad, but the focus we can put on them and what we do with them can be. Now, Jesus had some things to say about earthly treasures in Matthew chapter 6, so I figured we should take a look and see what our Lord has to say to us.
In Matthew 6:19-21, we see this: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Okay, I want to draw your attention to the word treasure, which describes anything that we store up for ourselves. Jesus is reminding us all what we so easily forget: all earthly treasures are temporary. Not only are they temporary, but they are so easily lost by some of the most basic things so we should never have such a tight grip and allow these things to control us. We know that they do so often control us because, as Jesus says, where your treasure is, there your heart or affections will be also. Our focus, as believers, has to always be on eternal things, which are the things of God, and not on the temporary.
Now I want to be clear and say that Jesus isn’t saying that you can’t have stuff or that you don’t need a job or that it’s bad to save money. What He is saying is that we shouldn’t allow what can be so easily destroyed to become an idol in our life. What we should always ask ourselves is are these things being used for Gods glory or are they just stickers on our toy treasure map? So today if your focus is in the wrong place, person, or things, ask God to forgive you and ask Him to show you how to put your affections on eternal things that will last.
"If the glories of Heaven were more real to us, if we lived less for the material things and more for things eternal and spiritual, we would be less easily disturbed by this present life." —Billy Graham
Today if you don’t know Jesus, all you have is what this temporary world can offer. Surrender to Jesus and you will find not only real love, but you will find total forgiveness for your sins because that is the real treasure that we all need.
