Question One: Where are you stockpiling treasure in your life?
By ‘treasure’ (and this is how it is used in this verse) I mean the things you value.
¨ If you value money, you will build treasure of wealth, investments, lots of work hours, perhaps.
¨ If you value relationship, you will gather treasure of friends, family, time spent with people and a good stock of mouthwash.
¨ If you value your health, you will invest in exercise, proper diet, and maybe a DVD of Denise Austin.
¨ If you value entertainment, you will have a really big TV, protect the nights American Idol is playing, and possibly have season tickets to whatever it is you most enjoy.
¨ If you value your children, you will spend time with them, care for their needs and refrain from clobbering them even when they are driving you nuts.
¨ If you value your career or ministry, you will spend time, thought, conversation and focus on effectively completing the objectives of this.
These pursuits are not evil.
(Okay, the American Idol obsession may be close.)
What these behaviors demonstrate, however, is what you value.
What you may not realize, however, is that the more you actively engage & pursue these areas, the more your heart follows.
The more you invest in these treasures, the more you will love this particular pursuit.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt 6:21
Whatever we choose to pour out time, attention, talent and efforts into will be that which our heart loves.
Question Two: What do you want to love most in your life?
If it is your home, make each week revolve around keeping it clean, keeping your schedule organized, brainstorming and shopping to make it state-of-the-art.
Your heart will then follow…you’ll love your home.
If you want to love your husband , then invest conversation to communicate with him, attention to observe & understand him, interest to enter his world, temptations, demands and responsibilities.
Your heart will then follow…you’ll grow in your love for your husband
If you want to grow in your love for material things, then spend hours shopping, compare your clothes/home/car/financial state with another, keep all your possessions state-of-the-art, and give yourself the things you desire without denial.
Your heart will follow…you’ll grow in your love for what you own.
If you want to love God supremely, go where He’s revealed His heart (His Word), camp out where He gathers His people (the church), talk with Him in intimate fellowship (prayer), commune with Him amid His creative masterpiece (nature), and put yourself where He’s promised his presence (where two or three are gathered in His name).
Your heart will follow…you’ll grow in your love for God.
Let me ask again, “What do you want to love most?”
You don’t really have to answer out loud: it is freely observed in what you choose as your treasure.
You don’t really have to answer out loud: it is freely observed in what you choose as your treasure.
(So don’t be surprised if you do a time grid of your week and see that whatever you spend the most time doing is that which you love the most…that’s the point. The question is: Is what you’re choosing to spend the most time in, what you really want to love the most?!!)
This has huge implication for the Christian life:
¨ If I discern I have little love for my unsaved neighbors/friends, I can build treasure in this area (pray for them, get to know them) and my heart (love) will follow.
¨ If my appetite seems lax and shallow for God’s Word, I can build treasure in this area (memorization, disciplined time in it) and my heart (love) will follow.
¨ If I am discontent in my marriage, I can build treasure in the sacred bond of our union (prayer, servanthood) and my heart (love) will follow.
¨ If I am growing bored or unhappy with the preaching in my church, the ways leadership is making decisions or the unfriendliness of the people, I can build treasure in this area (ministry to others, focused prayer) and my heart (love) will follow.
I have active participation in directing that which my heart will love! (This is not self-righteous self-effort, just the design God instituted for our hearts to operate under!)
Whatever we choose to pour out time, attention, talent and efforts into will be that which our heart loves.
Build treasure in what God values.
Your heart will then follow.
What a convicting post this was. I look at my week and realize that some of my treasures (demonstrated by how I spend my time) are pretty pathetic and meaningless. May God grant me the grace to strive for Him, seeking out His Word, His people, and His will.
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