Estimated reading time: 3 minute(s)
I love that the Bible seems fresh to me at times. I have read the words on those pages so many times, but as I grow closer with Jesus, as I get to know him more, I can see the words in a different way. I hear him say things differently. Perhaps I understand a bit better. Maybe as I get to know him more, Spirit can reveal more things to me that I may have missed before.
Today was another of those moments.
The boys and I are reading through Matthew, and today Jesus was telling us not to store up treasures here on earth where they will either break, or be stolen. Whatever happens, they won’t last. He said, store up treasures in heaven, where none of that can happen.
As I read it to the boys, I thought, “Well what does that mean, Dad?” So, I asked them what they thought treasure was. Alex said, “Something really cool.” (I forget the words exactly, but it was right on!)
We talked a bit about Jesus’ words about treasure – what we should and shouldn’t do with it – and I realized that the meaning was slightly different than I had understood before. I think I am still slowly breaking out of the idea that the “shoulds” of the Bible are “commands”. God is not a General, or a Dictator, or some sort of “Commander” who tells us what to do, and what not to do – expecting full and immediate compliance. He is a Father, who knows what is best for us.
The words I noticed today, that I most discussed with the boys were:
Your heart will always be where your treasure is. Matt. 6:21
Yes, I know… you’ve heard that before. And so have I. But today, in the context of what we were talking about, in the context of what we have been reading… I saw the heart of a father. Of the Father. He has told us that our heart is the essence of who we are (the source of our life flows from it), and so he wants to help us protect that. Because he loves us, not some code of righteousness, as I think I have always believed.
Whatever we treasure in life, that’s where we attach our hearts. “If we love things like video games,” I told my computer-loving son, Alex, “then when they break, so will our hearts.” If we “store up our treasures” on earth – where things will always break, or fail – then our hearts will do the same thing. But if we treasure things that are eternal (loved ones, memories, anything God says) then our hearts will be more secure. We will not lose pieces of our heart, since eternal things never fail.
Obviously I am not saying we’ll never hurt. I think I hear my Father saying, the less you treasure things that won’t last, the less of your heart you will lose. Our hearts will always be where our treasure is, he said. Always. That’s understandable with material things. We get that. But we still tie up our hearts in those things. But what about with people? Sometimes I think we tie up our hearts in people’s physical presence here. And rightly so, that’s part of who we are. But at times we cling to this part of our life, where there is so much more beyond what we are experiencing now.
I’m slightly off track, but coming back to the initial point… God does not tell us what to do and what not to do because he expects compliance. He loves us, and wants us to know what will work best for us. He will not reject us when we fail. I love knowing that. I love how being a father has taught me more about how my Father feels about me. He only wants to help us. That’s so cool.
So, in light of that… take Dad’s advice today and figure out what you treasure, and what your heart is attached to. If you can’t, ask him to help you. I bet he will.