I have been thinking about what I treasure a lot in the past year, but it has been highlighted since I have been home. Our heart follows our treasure, and I have enjoyed watching my heart move closer to Christ and am learning to treasure him above all.
But treasure is a tricky thing.
This week I got to go on an actual treasure hunt. In the woods. There were six hidden treasures and dang it I wanted to find them. I have a thing for winning. And for finding treasure. I searched far more eagerly than I care to admit given that I found nothing. I looked all through the woods, and for what? For a few pieces of chocolate and some assorted trinkets. My eagerness to claim the treasure as my own was a poignant reminder of what I should be doing to claim Christ as my treasure. Christ. Not anyone else.
Because you see, I have also found another treasure, one that I am sometimes tempted to trade anything to gain. I had it once and have lost it now. This tempts me to despair. To lose a great treasure is a sad thing. But this isn't a treasure I can just search for again. I know exactly where it is, and I know that I just have to treasure God instead. Because nothing else can compare. And it is delightful to experience his fulfillment beyond what those I treasure would ever provide.
My favorite thing about Christ as my treasure is that in claiming him more and more every day, I don't take away from the abundance of him that remains for everyone else. Everything else I treasure I claim for my own and it is not available to others anymore.
I don't get treasure yet, clearly, but I do know that all of the passion and love and covetousness and jealousy and whatever else that I feel over a man or a thing or a position is a passion misplaced when it is taking away from Christ. And that is a good lesson to learn. :)
I will have no other.
But treasure is a tricky thing.
This week I got to go on an actual treasure hunt. In the woods. There were six hidden treasures and dang it I wanted to find them. I have a thing for winning. And for finding treasure. I searched far more eagerly than I care to admit given that I found nothing. I looked all through the woods, and for what? For a few pieces of chocolate and some assorted trinkets. My eagerness to claim the treasure as my own was a poignant reminder of what I should be doing to claim Christ as my treasure. Christ. Not anyone else.
Because you see, I have also found another treasure, one that I am sometimes tempted to trade anything to gain. I had it once and have lost it now. This tempts me to despair. To lose a great treasure is a sad thing. But this isn't a treasure I can just search for again. I know exactly where it is, and I know that I just have to treasure God instead. Because nothing else can compare. And it is delightful to experience his fulfillment beyond what those I treasure would ever provide.
My favorite thing about Christ as my treasure is that in claiming him more and more every day, I don't take away from the abundance of him that remains for everyone else. Everything else I treasure I claim for my own and it is not available to others anymore.
I don't get treasure yet, clearly, but I do know that all of the passion and love and covetousness and jealousy and whatever else that I feel over a man or a thing or a position is a passion misplaced when it is taking away from Christ. And that is a good lesson to learn. :)
I will have no other.