“Live with the end in mind, learning in the present to treasure the eternal.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – August 26, 2021
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21, ESV
I was recently moved by the story of St. Laurence, a 3rd century martyr killed during the persecution of Christians under Valerian. Laurence was a treasurer of sorts for the early Church, entrusted with the sacred vessels used in Christian worship. When the Romans got wind of this, they arrested Laurence and demanded that he bring the treasures to them. He agreed, and was given a few days to collect up the treasures and present them to the officials. When he returned, instead of offering golden vessels, he brought with him a group of people, each of whom were poor and needy. His response to the Roman guards? “Behold the treasures of the Church.”
If asked to reveal your greatest treasure, what would you present? These are difficult questions to answer, for if we are honest, our definition and understanding of “treasure” has so often been shaped and informed by the values of the world, not the upside down nature of God’s coming kingdom. We must therefore learn to love what God loves, to treasure that which he treasures.
If your treasure advances your own agenda, your isolated comforted, or your artificial sense of security or self-importance, I assure you it is not a treasure worth protecting or defending. And it most certainly will not be an eternal treasure, that which transcends your own momentary existence and grows in value and worth over time.
However, an investment of time, money, and energy into people and places that grow the dignity of others, that deepens their sense of worth and love, that reveals the compassion and mercy of the Father, these are eternal treasures worthy of our blood, sweat, and tears. In order to give ourselves fully to these great treasures, we must constantly learn to see the others for what they are: fool’s gold, an illusion and mirage.
Live with the end in mind, learning in the present to treasure the eternal. This is the way of wisdom, freedom, and true riches. Take steps each day to accumulate eternal wealth, so that on your last day, you will not be ashamed or embarrassed to say “Behold, here are my treasures.”
Prayer
Father, teach us to love what you love and to give our lives to the pursuit of eternal riches and the treasures of your kingdom, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
What treasures have a hold of your heart and affections that have no lasting value?
Related Reading
Proverbs 15:16; Luke 12:33; 1 Timothy 6:18
Worship Resource
Paul McClure: Jesus We Love You
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