Discipling the Undisciplined no. 20

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). That is a tough one for most folks, me included. We live in a material world, thanks Madonna, and we are folks that surround ourselves with things. BUT the most important things are not of this world. Grace, mercy, truth, and love are not of this world. Those important things come from God.

I have never been too awfully tied to possessions. I am more attached to the memories and comfort those possessions provide. What I need to understand is that those memories and comforts are not conditional on those things. The memories reside within my mind and the comfort comes from the peace of God. 

I can spend my life making money and never be happy. Folks will enslave themselves to money and material things. Folks will pick jobs based on the salary. Folks will leave doing what makes them happy to pursue money. And, I hate to break it to you, BUT money isn’t real. It once had value. There was some sort of material thing to which money was related. Whether it was gold, or silver, money was once related to some other material. Today, money has imaginary value. The value that our collective agreement has given to the money is what drives its value. Nothing more. So, I think it is time to really examine why we are chasing something with imaginary value when I can find true value in my life through a relationship with my creator.

I look out over the gardens I built through God’s motivation and all the sweat and tears put into that labor and know in my heart that I could do it all again. I might be a little bit older and a little bit slower BUT the lessons I have learned from God in that experience are with me still. And those lessons, that walk, that time of wrestling with Him was worth a lot more than the garden itself. Learning to trust in His time and working on patience and peace were much more valuable than that garden itself. My treasure is in learning what God has for me this side of eternity. My treasure is in walking with Him and learning daily what He has for me to do. My treasure is in learning more about Him and myself. My treasure is eventually spending eternity working in partnership with Him so I am going to practice that today and every day. That is my future and my present, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

Grace and Shalom to your home. 

#DisciplingTheUndisciplined #ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #SeekFirstTheKingdom #ServeOneAnotherInLove #NotMyWayYHWH