Treasure Hunt

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

Luke 12:34

Jesus said this.  

He also said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it."  That pearl stole his heart and he gave up everything for it.

Often we think that our heart is our emotions - our hearts are moved and we act in compassion.  Our hearts are filled with love for our children or grandchildren - we can't imagine life without them.  But do we really want to live by our emotions?  Do our emotions drive our decisions?  This is a dangerous way to live.

In truth, the heart of man is driven by the mind.  We do what we do and feel what we feel because we THINK what we THINK.  When we act in compassion, it is because of a thought process, not a mere emotional response.  We love our family because they occupy our minds.  So when Jesus says that your heart and your treasure are intrinsically linked, we might actually have a treasure box filled with things that surprise us.

Let's try to flesh this out.  Jesus is saying that what we set our minds on is what we treasure.  So if we set our mind on Jesus, it is because He is our treasure.  Like the man who set his mind on that pearl, when we put our focus on Jesus, it is because He has great value.  Within that context, it is possible to set our minds on our families, our work, our homes, our hobbies because we see them as opportunities to serve the Lord, our great treasure.  We can also set our minds on these things, above Jesus, turning our treasures into idols.  It is a line easily and often crossed.  But deep within, when Jesus is our greatest treasure, the object of our constant thoughts, hopes and dreams, then the blessings of family and home, work and fun will fall into it's proper position.

Okay, all that makes sense, but what happens when our minds are not set on blessings and good things?  What happens when we are consumed with sadness, bitterness or hurt?  Is is possible that the struggles of our past which consume our minds actually are...what did Jesus call them...treasures?  Here's the hard truth - yes, they can be your treasures.  And what you are treasuring, is to your destruction, not to your joy.

When we are consumed with our past, overwhelmed with our trials and with the consequences of our choices, when our minds are filled with angry memories that produce bitterness, then we can conclude that that is where you are setting your mind, therefore it is something you treasure.

That sounds terrible, doesn't it?  But how many of us find our identity in our hurt?  The things people have done to us or said about us or the pain of our current circumstance, as well as past, have become obstacles we cannot overcome.  So if your treasure holds your heart, your thoughts, it is possible that you have a pretty rotten treasure box of junk.

So, it's time to clean out that box and fill it with a treasure of great price.  How do we do this?  It's as simple as selling everything you have to buy one pearl.  What???  Okay, how about having a real heart to heart with yourself on what you want most in life.  I chatted with a gal recently and I began to realize that there was a relationship she treasured above all, so I asked her what she wanted more, Jesus or this other person.  She shook her head and sadly said the name of the other person.  Her treasure was something that could not bring her joy or make her whole and until she surrendered that treasure and replaced it with Jesus, One who can truly transform her life and bring eternal joy, she was going to continue to struggle.  

What is on your mind?  What consumes your thoughts?  Today, as you think of where you set your mind, remember that the same location is where your treasure is found.  When you truly surrender your life to Christ, He gets your mind as well.