Treasure

For some time I have been wanting to replace my aging guitar with something newer. One weekend recently my son and I went to London to look at the specialist shops and decide what I wanted. Having made my choice, I then decided to buy one. Yesterday it arrived from Canada, securely packed in a thick protective bubble wrap jacket. I opened it with some excitement and played a few chords – the sound was just what I had hoped for. However, when it was plugged in (it is an electro-acoustic for those that are interested!) there was a sound that should not have been there. We had a problem with the electronics. What a disappointment! That which I had been wanting so much was not up to my expectations.

So many people have been disappointed recently through the economic situation as the material things they have hoped for have been denied them: financial investments, pensions, holidays, and house improvements. Even Christian believers suffer from the financial setbacks of the world!

The Lord reminded me that my hope shouldn’t be on such things. If they represent my ‘treasure’, my focus is wrong. If my heart is set on the materialistic things of this world, I will inevitably be disappointed. I thought I’d learned that lesson when I entered full time ministry, but the enemy keeps sneaking up on me and distracting my focus back on to this world. Whether my guitar works or not should not affect me deeply. But the way I responded when it didn’t showed me something about myself. I have to say I’m disappointed.

The Lord is reminding me to seek His Kingdom first, and get my focus back on Him, not to allow the hopes of this world to become larger than they should be. I know that God is delighted when I play my guitar, because He loves music, but I get the feeling He would be more delighted if my focus was totally on Him.

I wonder whether, like me, you’re also too focused on the treasures of this world. Is that where your heart really is? If so, let’s do some Kingdom seeking.

Prayer: Lord Jesus I’m sorry if I’ve allowed myself to become distracted by seeking the treasures of this world, however small they may be. Please help me to refocus on You and delight in the things You give me in this life. In Your Name I pray, Amen.