Getting Job-ed
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21 CSB
The Bible is not big just a big rule book, it addresses our deepest issues. It’s funny, sometimes the deeper we can go into theological studies we can be standing too close to the picture and get caught up in minute details that we begin to miss the most important aspect: what do I treasure? What do I long for? What do I love? This is truly the heart of our relationship with God: Is He truly our treasure?
Romans 1: 18-26, 28 CSB (Click ‘here‘ to see unabbreviated text):
For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images…
Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts… They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.
For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions…
And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right.
This passage is true for all of us, not just 1st century Gentile/Jewish Christians. We, at our core, want other things than God. We do not submit to His authority. Think back to Adam and Eve (Genesis 1-3) what was the real issue there? We did not submit to God, His rule, and command. We do not treasure God.
We treasure what we love
Is God calling you to love Him? Loving God is life-altering and course-changing. Our lives will not be the same when we are called by God. Progressive as the Christian walk is (sanctification), this will change our relationships, finances, career-minded orientation, etc. It changes everything. As we see with Jesus and the rich young ruler, life is for sure not just about obeying moral commands and having riches, a great retirement, career aspirations, etc. Read Matthew 19:16- 30 for yourself, what do you take away from that? (Click ‘here‘ to read the text). Life is about God- our love and affections for God. And then taking that love and showing other people, calling them to that life of true joy. This is about real joy. A joy that won’t be dependent on the stock market, retirement portfolio, news headlines, and the insanity of the culture.
Let’s end with looking at Matthew 13:44 CSB where Jesus discusses what finding the Kingdom of God is like:
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.
This text is about joy. A man finds the Kingdom of heaven that is a treasure and gives up everything else he treasures to pursue it because nothing else is as valuable in comparison. This is about showing us that that treasure is the most satisfying joy. Nothing else can satisfy that longing. This is not a shoulder-slumped, sad martyrdom to give up what we treasure in pursuit of the other treasure out of obligation. We are to pursue that treasure (God) at all cost, out of our joy, because that is most treasurable.
-Austin
