Treasure

Where is your treasure? Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mathew 6:21). Most Christians would be quick to say that their treasure is in heaven, not here on earth.

But, is it really? I have had to ask myself that recently, and the answer was shocking. Let’s get past all the platitudes, and get real with this.

If you want to know where your treasure is, check your heart, and your thought life. When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing that you think about? Is it the person you are in love with? Is it your job, the chores that need to be done, some event that you are looking forward to or dreading for that day?

When you go to bed at night, what is the last thing on your mind as you drift off to sleep? Is it all the things that need to be done the next day, or is it God and His kingdom?

Let’s get even more real. How do we spend our time, and how do we spend our money. How much time do we spend in God’s Word; 5 minutes a day, 10 minutes, maybe even less? How much time do we spend in prayer?

How much time do we spend watching tv, surfing the web, playing on Facebook, talking on the phone, playing video games, or pursuing our favorite hobby. There is nothing wrong with these activities, but they are an indicator of where our priorities are.

What about our money. Studies show that only about 11 percent of the general population tithe. Among those that claim to be Christians, it is only about 24 percent.

I asked myself these questions, and as much as I say that I love God, I don’t always show it my thoughts and actions. I am quick to say that God is my first priority, but again, I don’t always show it in my thoughts, or my actions.

As I took that critical look at how I spend my time and money, I was convicted. Yet, as soon as that conviction hit, it was followed by condemnation. Satan loves to take genuine conviction and twist it into condemnation. But, I did this all on my own.

I am sometimes my own worst enemy, and definitely my worst critic. Rather than conviction, which causes us to repent and make positive changes, condemnation would have us wallow in self-pity and loathing. I sometimes even punish myself, which is an insult to God. When I punish myself, I am saying that Jesus’ death on the cross wasn’t good enough, I have to pay a personal penance.

The other reaction from my flesh is to make a new commitment that I know I can’t keep. If I manage to keep that commitment for a while, it very quickly becomes something that I dread. I keep it out of a legalistic promise, not grace.

So, what is the answer? The answer is surrender. Surrendering my will, and offering myself anew to Christ. It is asking God to forgive my selfishness, and asking the Holy Spirit to help me make my actions more closely match my beliefs.

It is in surrender that we stop trying to do it on our own, and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work in and through us. Surrendering our will is much easier said than done. It is a process, and I know I have a long way to go in that process.