Where Your Heart is…That’s Where You’ll Find Your Treasure
Success looks different to each of us. We need to remember that success is so much more than just accumulating things. Not that there is anything wrong with having nice stuff.
Real success comes from where our focus is. Is it on the stuff or fulfilling our God given purpose?
We need to be careful to not get sucked into the commercialism of the world.
If we’re honest with ourselves we’re spoiled. Things that we call problems, really aren’t problems…they’re inconveniences. Things like:
- I have company coming over and my house is a mess
- My walk-in closet isn’t big enough
- I can’t get my Wi-Fi to reach everywhere in my house
- My air conditioning in my truck quit and its hot outside
Compared to a hundred years ago or someone living in a 3rd world country…these aren’t problems, they’re inconveniences.
We live in an overwhelmingly marketed to world. Advertising is all about creating the want of stuff. Desire is contagious. We need to be careful to not be sucked into desiring the wrong things.
Stuff in and of itself isn’t bad. It’s about where your focus is.
In Matthew 6:19-21 we’re told to be careful where we’re storing up treasures. Earthly treasures don’t last forever while heavenly ones do.
Jesus tells us in Luke 12:13-21 about a man whose farm produced such a big crop that he didn’t have enough room to store it all. The man decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones. This would allow him to eat, drink and enjoy himself for years to come. This didn’t work so well…that night the man died.
This is what happens when people store up everything for themselves, but are poor in the sight of God.
I used to struggle with this Scripture. It seemed to me to be saying that we shouldn’t work hard or be productive or save for the future.
This isn’t what it’s saying. It is saying…it’s not all about me.
If we focus our energy into fulfilling our God given mission, we will be successful…whatever that looks like for each of us.
