Daily Journal: 20 March

Treasure

So often in life we are striving and looking ahead. Worries and anxieties consume our thinking and our prayer life. A lot of the time we place our treasure in the things of tomorrow but rush through today, feeling pressured to achieve more, more, more.

But is this the best way to live?

We love our families and spend time with them. We work to own possessions that enable our security. We make choices that support our values for health, children and family members, friendships, leisure, careers, social engagement, and spiritual growth.

We place our treasure in places that express what’s most important to us.

Do we stop to realise that our treasure isn’t always ‘out there’ to be worked for? As believers in Christ Jesus, we seek and place our treasure in the same place. Not ‘out there’ or just living for today. But both, because our treasure is found in the person of Jesus Christ who accumulates in us all things that He wants for our life as we worship Him each day. Our life, therefore, becomes an outward expression of our inward journey of faith on a daily basis.

2 Timothy 1:14 (AMP)

Guard [with greatest care] and keep unchanged, the treasure [that precious truth] which has been entrusted to you [that is, the good news about salvation through personal faith in Christ Jesus], through [the help of] the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (BSB)

Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Are we focused on what God wants or what we want? Are we willing to lay aside our ideas of a treasure-filled life in order that the Holy Spirit would be able to fulfil what the Father has planned for our life?

Philippians 2:13-16 (NIV)

for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. 

I’ll treasure what has been entrusted to me today, and take delight in the knowledge that God has placed that in me to carry for my good, for others’ enrichment, and for His glory.

If we take a few moments to consider our treasure and let the Holy Spirit show us His priorities we’ll see what we can lay down and what we can work toward today that is acceptable to the knowledge of Jesus Christ in us, without the strain of wondering if we’re doing enough and letting others down if we’re not doing more.