MANIFEST THE HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE HEART
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“For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also”—Luke 12:34
Charlotte
Brontë mused about the human heart’s hidden treasures by writing, “The
human heart has hidden treasures, In secret kept, in silence sealed; The
thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, Whose charms were broken if
revealed.” She is saying that if the secrets of the
hidden treasures of the heart are exposed then the allure of the treasure would
be broken. However, Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount
that the real issue is: where my heart is.
He wants the hidden treasures of our
hearts exposed so that we can
evaluate if our hearts are seeking after self or after a real vibrant
relationship with God (Matthew 6:19-24).
Sometimes people perceive us as being spiritual or
godly, when in reality, deep in our hearts we know that we have just put on a
mask. Because in our private life, we
struggle with fears, temptations, and desiring the things of the world for man’s
praise instead of glorifying God. The
treasures that we have sought have only brought physical or emotional comfort
rather than true spiritual happiness.
Jesus directly addresses the heart by asking the question, “Where is your treasure?” He says in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is there your heart
will be also.” There are a lot of
things competing for your heart, as
this is the control center for life.
Your life is a reflection of your
heart. “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of
life” (Proverbs 4:23). The heart is
like a water well and from if all the issues of life gush forth. Therefore, we must guard our hearts and watch over
them so that our heart follows hard after the things of God and is not
distracted by the things of this world.
We must ask the question, “Where is our treasure?” Because in asking this, we will answer the
question “Where is our heart?” because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The second question
to ask ourselves is: “Where is our
focus?” What are our eyes focused on? Are they focused on the seen or the
unseen?
The Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19:16-22 came to
ask Jesus a question. The question he asks is how he might have eternal life. Jesus answers the man by telling him that he
needs to obey the commandments, and the rich young ruler responds, “Which ones?” Jesus responds, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not
commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’
‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
The young ruler responds that he has kept all these things and asks, “What do I still lack?” This is where
Jesus drops the bomb on the rich young ruler. He says, “Go, sell what you have and give to the poor” and “follow Me.” Where was this young man’s heart? You can tell by his reaction.
His heart is controlled by his
wealth and riches. This young ruler is wealthy and supposedly has a lot going
for him, but he is not willing to let those things go in order to follow Jesus.
He is willing to love his neighbor and do the commands that pertain to his
fellow man, but when it comes down to loving the Father and having no other
gods before Him, he is not willing to let go of the wealth he obtained here on earth. His end result was spiritual death. His heart
was set upon the things of this earth, and he was willing to disobey God for
the sake of temporal riches that do not last. The things we gather here on
earth are only temporal; they do not last for eternity.
Where is your treasure?
Are you earthly-minded or
heavenly-minded? Are you investing in
the future eternity to come, or are you investing in the here and now? Are you enthralled with the temporary versus
the permanent? Jesus used the three
examples of the moth, rust and thief in Matthew 6:19 -20 to show how the things
we deem most important are only temporary., “Do
not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and
where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and
steal.”
At the end of our life as believers, we will all
stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account for our lives here
on the earth. Those believers who seek
to build up wealth and riches on earth will suffer loss and will be saved as
through fire, whereas those who strive to lay up treasures in heaven will
receive a reward.
So the question arises, “How do we lay up treasures in heaven?” The answer is by
living the way God has asked us to live and following after Him in all that we
do. For example, loving your neighbor as yourself – if a man has a need for a
shirt and you have extra, give him one – being a cheerful giver, honoring God
in your marriage, guarding your mind against adulterous thoughts, sharing the
good news of the gospel with those around you. There are so many things which
all narrow down to loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and
strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus always looks at the heart: “For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” One of the Ten
Commandments states: “You shall have no
other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). When we set our hearts on the things of this earth and fall to the temptation of
being worldly in our ways, we are committing
idolatry because we are no longer serving God. Rather, we have put our riches above God, and
we are serving them. They have become our god and our life. Jesus challenges us, to ask ourselves where
our treasure is. If your treasure is on earth and the things of
this world, your heart will be there
as well. If your heart is focused on
the Father and on laying up treasures
in heaven, your heart will be there.
“That their hearts may be encouraged, being
knit together in love and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of
understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and
of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”
(Colossians 2:3-4).
Prayer—Father I repent and ask You
to forgive me for not focusing on laying up treasures in heaven, and with Your
help from today forward my focus, my treasures will be upon You, in Jesus Name.
Amen.
