Treasure

Treasure

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

ONE OF MY VERY FIRST COWORKERS at one of my very first jobs collected Beanie Babies—the original ones subject to public hysteria as limited-edition varieties released, only to be immediately snatched up by people queued in long lines wrapping outside stores. Even as a teenager munching peanut butter and jelly next to her in the break room as she told me all about her Beanie Baby retirement plan, I remember pondering the wisdom of that investment.

I’ve thought of her and those Beanie Babies repeatedly over the years as I’ve seen piles of them at thrift shops and as I’ve watched friends navigate downsizing or liquidating their parents’ households, struggling with collections of all kinds that, despite all the promises of future wealth, hold little more than sentimental value.

Collecting can be fun. I love the thrill of the hunt as much as the woman sifting through fine china next to me at Goodwill, looking for that elusive pattern to add to my grandmother’s dishes, now passed to me. But I’m careful not to mix up the fun of collecting with treasure.

Our treasure is not gold and silver. It is not the equity in our home or our 401(k) plans. Our treasure is eternal in nature. It is intangible and impossible to quantify on our net worth statement. Our treasure is the relationships we’ve built with spiritual family as well as those far from Jesus. It is the sacrifices we’ve quietly made to help loved ones, neighbors, those we’ve never met, and our enemies. It is the times in which we’ve chosen the good of someone else over our comfort. It is the unnoticed, unappreciated gaps we’ve filled. It is toilet scrubbing, the nursery duty, the pacing all night long with a sick child while utterly exhausted. It is when we store up these treasures, that we’ll find a heart beating in tune with God.

Lord, help us exchange what our culture defines as treasure for your definition. Amen.

-Julie

One Good Step: Do one thing that builds your heavenly 401(k) plan today.