The Heart of The Matter...

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” 

 (Matthew 6:21)

Where is your heart? I have met many people whose hearts are contained within the life box of materialistic items. Picture a King’s treasure room filled with jewels and items of great wealth – there they sit in the middle of the room, sifting and boasting about all these worldly items they possess; allowing these treasures to determine the wealth of who they are. Their lives consist of nothing other than wealth and worldly positions and people’s elevated opinion of them.  To be “ooo’d and awww’d over because of their prestige.  Items that I imagine bring great worldly and physical comfort but are superficial, cold and empty.  Never knowing if someone wants to know you for who you are or be around you for prestige and what you have…

What would it be like to live life like that? Honestly, I hope I never find out.  Would it be nice not to have to live paycheck to paycheck? Yes, it would.  Not to have to worry about paying bills? Oh yes – the heaviness that comes with being under financial strain is not one that I’ve enjoyed.  But here is the thing – I would not trade my life for ALL the riches of the world because I feel that trade off would be more of a burden than one of worrying about money.  Now I’m not saying it is a sin for having nice things – I don’t believe that at ALL.  But Matthew 6:21 is true.  And the truth of the matter is, in the end, you cannot take it with you.

I can honestly say that my heart does not lie in money.  You see, everything I have my Father has provided for me. My Father owns cattle on a THOUSAND hills!   I may not always have what I’ve wanted, but I have always had what I needed.  My trust and faith has always been in His provision for me. 

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:9-13)

What a joy it is to know that I know that I know that my heart’s desire is to live for Him! My treasure, my riches, my desire, my heart – my life – is all in Him.  Everything I have needed His hands have provided. My trust has not been in myself, when I see people who don’t know what it is like to personally have a relationship knowing Jesus as their Lord and Savior, my heart hurts for them because true richness is when He removes the scales from your eyes and all of a sudden you are walking in the knowledge of Who He is and what He has done for YOU.  You recognize from personal experience how true God’s love is for you!  You experience it for yourself, so all of a sudden you know that it is REAL.

Deep inside of you is a place that was made to be filled only with Him and if you are honest with yourself and you truly think about this, you will admit that there is a place that is restless within you, that even if you try to fill it up with people and items and hobbies they can’t quite fill this void.  It is a place that God has meant to be filled only with Him and when you recognize that and you allow Him to be the center of your life – there is such joy and love and peace that fills you!  The peace that the Bible talks about that passes ALL understanding, and all of a sudden you get it! You realize that the true riches are not financial, worldly, prestige – but the knowledge of WHY you were really made and Who God is and What HE thinks of you.  True riches are found ONLY in Him.

Everything I need He provides for me.  I recognize that the mistake is keeping my eyes on possessions and worldly items and not on the One who can give it or take it away in a moment!

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." (Mark 8:36 – 8:38)

When I check my heart on this, I realize how true what I have written above is, that the treasure I have my heart set on is living for Him.  Applying all the gifts He has given me to write for Him, to allow my fingers to run across my computer keyboard and fill the empty pages of my blog with words that will glorify Him and minister to people who feel alone or don’t know how MUCH God loves them.  True richness is in knowing that you are fulfilling what your calling is! I cannot find adequate words to write that can contain the joy and love and peace and contentment and fulfillment that comes in knowing that you (in all your imperfections – because God uses imperfect people!) are living for Him.  Learning more every day about exactly what that means, surrounding yourself with others who also recognize that the purpose of their lives is to live for Him and utilize their gifts (which may differ from yours) to glorify His name.  Praying, reading His word (that is filled with wonderful treasures of wisdom and examples on how to live your life) and striving every day to learn who it is you are in Him, recognizing that it is only His grace, His mercy, His forgiveness and His love that allows you to do so.

Where is your heart?  Examine it and be honest with yourself as to where and what those treasures are.  Maybe it’s time to do an early “spring cleaning” and reprioritize what is important in your life.  Your life is a gift in and of itself – one that HE has given you, we are not promised tomorrow the only way in making the most of today is in knowing who the Giver of today is and finding out your true treasures are in Him.