Treasure Hunter

Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

What would you give to live rightly and be free from your defects?  What would you give to be able to look back at your life and see that you loved God rightly?  I may say that God is the most important thing in life but I must ask if I live that way.

The choice is mine alone.  There is no one on Earth who can choose how I follow God, except me.  I cannot choose many of my life circumstances but I do get to choose the one thing about me that will last forever.  Only I can decide how I love and follow God.

I have, at one time, told God that I would give anything to be free from my defects.  My words were empty as I would not do any of the things I knew I needed to do.  What I was really saying was, I just want you to fix my problems without any disruption to my life.  I do not want to put you above all, I still want to follow me, just without the consequences.  I told God that my will was worth more to me than his.

In this passage, Jesus explains what the kingdom of heaven is actually worth.  It is worth everything.  I am not losing out on anything to give up that which I will never be able to keep.  I am not sacrificing anything to let go of the things that cause me destruction.  In giving up my right to live how I see fit, I gain what can never be taken away.  I gain the kingdom of heaven in me.

Jesus’ parable tells of this man who found a hidden treasure that was more valuable than all his possessions. So, he gladly gave all he had to buy the field.  He was taking no risk to give up everything he had for something worth far more.  This is how I am to value God in me.  I tend to think of all that I sacrifice to truly follow God. Jesus reveals the reality.  That which I give up is worth nothing compared to that which I gain.

I give up my defects and I get God.  I am relieved of my destruction and filled with life.  Why would I not take this deal? As always, it is me and my will that stands in the way.  Jesus tells me that I can have as much or as little of God’s kingdom in my life as I choose.  I often choose little.

So many of us are satisfied with so little God because we just cannot get over the idea of giving up our right to do what we want.  We may want to be free from our defect and we may say we love God above all, but when it comes down to it, it is too painful to actually live that way.

If I truly want to be free from me and if I truly want to love God above all then I must be willing to live that way.  I must choose to daily deny self and follow him in all things.