Treasure

When you hear the word “treasure” there are probably many different images that are evoked in your mind. The first one for most people is a picture of a pirate like Long John Silver hiding his ill-gotten gains in a large chest and burying it on a deserted island, referenced by a cryptic map. Each of our children, and even Joyce and I, had a box of “treasures” that held items they had found on family exploring trips and vacations. Jennifer had a collection of old keys, Christopher liked gadgets and old radios, Joyce keeps all my old love letters I wrote her, and I try to keep safe rocks and fossils I have found over the years. Each of these “treasures” have value in themselves to a certain degree, but are more valuable because of the events and memories that they represent in our relationship with each other. Those kinds of things are “treasured” and valued for their sentimental or personal meanings. What we really treasure are not the things we’ve collected, but the “family” that continues to find joy and love in being together and spending time with each other. Because we value you will observe us behaving in ways that nurture and encourage that relationship.

Jesus understood that people are motivated to do what they do based on what they believe is truly important. He also understood that many times we know what should be important or valuable, but struggle with living our lives based on those values. For example, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day knew that it was important to honor God, but they found it easier and more pleasurable to honor their own wants and desires. Jesus described them with these words, “These people draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me!” In Matthew 6:21, Jesus states again the direct correlation between what we value and what we do when He says that “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” It is from the heart that the actions of life flow, and it is in the heart where our values are formed and cherished. As people who follow Jesus, we have come to value His instruction and correction as our life then displays that treasure through a different way of living in the world!

How exciting to be His people,

Pastor David Vanderpool