An Indie Heart: The Treasure
Author: Christine S.
11 January 2004

      2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

     When I use to figure skate, my eyes were on the gold. I didn’t care what it would take, my heart longed to obtain that gold and that place upon the pedestal. It took me a lot to get it- practicing endless hours, sacrificing relationships and school hours, etc.-and I accomplished my goal in many competitions (not all), but was never satisfied. After a win, I’d want more. It was never enough to satisfy me. And the truth is that anything physical taken as our heart’s deepest desire, our true treasure, will never satisfy us. We will always have something more to accomplish, obtain, measure up too, etc. Is it worth sacrificing so much for a treasure, which will never completely satisfy us?

     So what is the treasure? The world offers many treasures- wealth, fame, health, friends, family, etc.- and to some degree these are satisfying (yet, not fulfilling) treasures. In Matthew 13:44-46 Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” During Jesus’ day, the Rabbinic (Jewish) law from the Old Testament was that if a worker was to find something of great value in a field, he couldn’t take it. The worker would have to give it to the owner/master of the field or he could hide it, buy the field and then obtain it. The treasure itself comes free, but to buy the field would cost all that he has. Being that the treasure will satisfy your every need and desire, how much will you give to get it?

     <<A good example of finding the true treasure that I’m getting at is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). I’ve purposely left the story for you to study and mediate over this week.>>

When I was in eighth grade, I was the leader of my school’s Christian club. It was a time that I made quite a few mistakes, but I learned a lot and grew as a leader. In a ceramics class there was a bit of rivalry between the seventh and eighth graders. We (the older) would joke with the seventh graders, telling them they had no life. Despite the jokes and ridicule (which I am ashamed of to this day), I was friendly and often invited the students of the younger grades to come to one of the club meetings. One night I saw this girl who we use to call “no life” come to the club. I had a done a message that night on “God’s plan for you.” She listened curiously, asked for prayer for her sick grandfather and left early. I will never forget what she said the next day in ceramics, “Guess what? I found my life last night.” Though our original intentions were not to imply that she was spiritually lost- but to look “cooler” than the younger students- this girl hit a reality that she didn’t want to hide from. Her brokeness before God and faithful response continues to challenge my heart today.

In The Parables of Jesus (1963), J. Jermids writes, “The effect of the joyful news is overpowering; it fills the heart with gladness; it makes life’s whole aim the consummation of the divine community and produces the most whole hearted self-sacrifice.”

Just remember, that if you’ve found your treasure- it will be your all- your life, there will be nothing more neither needed nor wanted. If you are still looking for more, are you sure you’ve attained the treasure?

   - Chrissy S. <ChrissyS@teenz4theLord.com>

   "An Indie Heart: The Treasure", Copyright © 2004 Chrissy S., All Rights Reserved.