“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matt 6:21 (Amplified)
Most people who knew them couldn’t really understand them, at least initially. They asked, how can you live in poverty in the midst of plenty? Nevertheless, these men knew what they were doing. They were bible students from a Latin American country studying in the USA. They knew that life in God’s own country was far advanced for their own third world country and also recognised the danger that the bright lights and higher living standard of their host country might just lure them to stay and settle after completing their studies. So, to counter this danger to their commitment to return to their home country to preach the gospel after concluding their studies, they all agreed that whilst in the USA, they would live on the same standard as their home country and only spend what was necessary for their survival and no more. This would serve as a constant reminder of their resolve to return to a country that needed them and where the goodies of America are not readily available. True to their word, they all returned home and served God as they had intended.
Whatever one might think of these men, one cannot fault their commitment to God and the task of evangelising their country. It is so easy to be distracted by the bright lights and dainties that this world has to offer such that we forget who we are and why we are here on earth. We can get so entangled with the affairs of this world that we lose our bearing with respect to what is important from heaven’s perspective. It is easy to lose sight of the fact that God’s kingdom objective is the primary reason we are still alive. Consequently, we keep chasing the interest when God would rather that we seek the capital – Him and His kingdom. This calls into question our loyalty to the cause and questions our commitment and priorities. According to the anchor passage, where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also. It works no other way.
Throughout history, individuals have had to make a choice as to what is important as opposed to what isn’t. Moses had to turn his back on the life of power and privilege that being an Egyptian prince afforded him in order to fulfil God’s plan for his life. Daniel and his friends turned down indulgent meals from the king’s table and instead plumped for lentils because they had devoted their lives to serving God. Apostle Paul focused on serving God so much so that he considered all his impressive worldly achievements as dung. All these men and many like them refused to be distracted by whatever the world had to offer in order to lay hold of God’s better offer of life and eternal significance. They all gave up things of worldly value in order to go up and possess the treasure they have been laying up in heaven. They all had their priorities right and received God’s affirmation and blessing. They lived life totally committed to God and with the other more enduring future life in mind. They gave their all in order to gain God’s best and chose to lose what they knew they could not keep in order to take hold of that which they knew they could never lose. They made God their treasure, and lived life to the full. This is what you too can enjoy. Live your life with your heavenly treasure in mind, and in the end you will have lived life to the full.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to be a shrewd spiritual investor who lives with one eye firmly set on the future, as opposed to the spiritual consumer, only living for today with no thought for the future. Help me understand the fact that whatever the world can give is nothing compared to the great things you have waiting for me and enable me to live worthy of your expectation in Jesus name. Amen.