Friday, July 22, 2011

Weekend Speaker:  Ben Sigman

Theme:   Is It Just Me... Who Longs for Approval?

Read: Matthew 19:21

Think: I know I'm taking a little departure from what we've been thinking about over the last few days... but I have something else on my mind that I hope you'll benefit from as I have this week.

I have to admit that I’ve struggled with the idea of “treasure in heaven”. The passage where Jesus tells the rich young man to sell all he has to give to the poor is one that I’ve historically not wanted to pay a lot of attention to, partially because I don’t want to be challenged in this way, but more than anything because “treasure in heaven” sounds like a consolation prize for a tough existence on earth. Recently though, I have begun to develop a different view of treasure in heaven.

I have three young kids, with ages ranging from two to seven. As any parent knows, the depth of love you feel for your kids is so great it is almost indescribable (although I must admit I would give anything for 2 weeks on a beach without them.) When I put my two year old daughter to bed, she loves to sit and snuggle for 5-10 minutes before going to sleep. Those moments are so very precious and offer me a glimpse of what Jesus may be referring to when he speaks of “treasure in heaven.” If my kids’ lives or well-being were on the line, I would give all the money and possessions I have in order protect them as their value is immeasurable to me, much more than my house, cars, TV, etc. I believe when we examine our relationships, whether with parents, spouses, kids, close friends, etc., we start to understand the eternal treasure to which Jesus is referring to.

For me, this has helped me start to get beyond viewing spiritual riches as a biblical cliché’ and starting thinking of treasure in heaven as something more valuable that we can comprehend. If my kids are this valuable to me, how much more value is my relationship with the God of all creation, who created me, fully knows me, and loves me perfectly.

(By the way... I’m not suggesting that we sell off all we have for the church or charity as this isn’t Jesus’ point in the passage, but merely trying to describe how much more precious the treasure in heaven is than our earthly possessions.)

Do: Think about your life and the relationships that are most important to you and how valuable these people are in your life.

Pray: Father, please open my eyes to better understand what treasure in heaven is. Help me to see that knowing you and investing in relationships with you and with other people is so much more valuable than anything I can buy or obtain. Amen.