“The greatest investment you can make is in the flourishing of the hidden person of the heart.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – March 9, 2024
Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of robes, 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 1 Peter 3:3-4, RSV
Every Sunday afternoon, my phone gives me a weekly screen time report, and whenever it pops up I cringe a little, thinking to myself, “I spent that much time on my phone this week?!” And while some of that time is a redemptive use of this device – driving directions, calendar coordination with the family, or even listening to Scripture – I cringe because I know much of that time is spent in countless vain pursuits, lost time that could have easily been invested elsewhere.
We spend our time on the things that matter most to us. I’ve often thought that an audit of one’s time is the quickest way to assess whether or not we’re living the lives we want to live and giving ourselves to things that truly matter. Endless hours glued to screens. An inordinate amount of time spent on our own beauty and self-appearance. Staying late at the office every night simply to avoid whatever awaits you at home. Obsessing over an investment portfolio. What makes the list for you?
If we’re honest with ourselves, we must admit that, as humans, we face a great temptation to invest the majority of our time in areas that offer the most fleeting returns. We seek to obtain financial security, yet as recent years have taught us, hard-earned funds dutifully saved over multiple decades can disappear overnight. Clean eating and active living will never reverse the inevitable reality of bodily decay. And we can spend a lifetime seeking to gain power and influence in the eyes of mankind, only to neglect how we are viewed “in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:4).
The greatest investment you can make is in the flourishing of the hidden person of the heart. This is the part of you that animates your actions and emotions, and it is here in the secret place deep within that abiding communion with the Lord is cultivated and nourished. You and I were made for eternity, and our Lord invites us today to invest our energy and efforts in that which will never fade or grow old, for this is precious in his sight and is the way that leads to abundant and everlasting life.
Prayer
Father, help us live more and more aware of your presence that can be encountered in the hidden spaces of our hearts, and give us the strength to cultivate an abiding life with you, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
What does an audit of your weekly schedule reveal about your priorities, and how can you adjust this to create space to tend to the hidden person of the heart?
Related Reading
Romans 6:22; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; 1 Timothy 2:8-15
Worship Resource
Phil Wickham: This is Amazing Grace
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