Jan
15

What Do You Treasure?

Featuring Branon Dempsey Posted on January 15, 2009

The New Year is a time of great beginnings, aspiration and vision. In a way, this time reminds me of spring cleaning. We shed the old year and put on our best for the new to come. We value and prize our dreams and ambitions with great expectation. Recently, I set out all my plans and to-do lists only to find the enormity of their demand. My initial thought was to dive right in and swim as much as possible. Along the way, I grew tired, faint and directionless. I realized that I was swimming up stream instead of with the current. Here's the danger, it's only been fifteen days into the New Year. So what's the problem? It's found in where I am placing my value. This alone will cost precious time, energy and more time. For something to be a value it must require attention.

If your like me, you want to overachieve more than what is actually necessary. I like to get-it-all-done when I can and as much as I can. Here's another problem. Along the way, I pass up what is truly important. You see, the things we value and treasure really aren't what we really need. Sometimes what we think we need are someone else's' dreams, expectations or self inflicted demands.  Maybe the old tapes playing in our minds relentlessly compel us to obey. You must do this. You should do it that way. You don't want to end up like this do you? Ok. Stop and think. Right now, what do you really value. I mean, what really calls out to you in the middle of the night. What cries for relief? If there was an open field or sky that had your remedy, what does it look like? Who would be standing there? What are the true things that  really make you happy or that are truly important - to you - not someone else? Have you really considered this alone between you and God?

The concerns of this life are crafty and lead us to believe in a lie that says we must have it all. But when we don't get it all, we aren't happy. When we do get it all, there is always something more to have. This chasing of the wind was exactly Jesus' point when he said: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal," (Matt. 6:19-20). Re-evaluate what you treasure in this life and in this New Year. It's great to have the plans in our hearts as long as the Lord directs our steps. When we lean on His understanding and treasure what is right, true and life-worthy we are truly free. In the good and bad, we are able to see what truly matters most. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also," (Matt. 6:21).

 

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