My Greatest Treasure

  

          Yesterday my sweet and thoughtful husband had a day off from work. Rather than taking the day for himself (which would have been a very reasonable thing to do) he gave me the morning off and took care of the kids so I could have the morning to myself.

          While I did some cleaning, I took advantage of the quiet in the house and listened to a John Piper sermon called “Don't Waste Your Life”. These words from the sermon have been on my mind the past day and a half....

          “...Paul displays the worth of Christ by counting everything else as loss for Christ's sake. 'I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of Christ.' This means that the life that displays the worth of Christ – the unwasted life – is the life that uses everything to show that Christ is more valuable than it is. Money is used to show that Christ is more valuable than money. Food is used to show that Christ is more valuable than food is. Houses and lands and cars and computers are used to show that Christ is more valuable than they are. Family and friends and your own life are a place to show that Christ is more valuable than any of them.

          The way that we display the supreme worth of Jesus in our lives is by treasuring Christ above all things, and then making life choices that show that our joy is not finally in things or even in other people, but in Christ.”

          Wow. These are challenging thoughts for me. It's easy to say that I treasure Christ above all else, but is that the reality in my life? Does my life actually look like I treasure Christ over everything else? Or perhaps another way to phrase it would be this: I look around at all the things God has given to me or entrusted to me – that can include people, relationships, material possessions, etc.... Do I treat them, use them, or care for them in such a way that it is evident that I treasure Christ above all those things? Or have those things and people, themselves, become my treasure?

           These are sobering thoughts for me. Again, it's easy for me to tell myself that Christ is my highest treasure, but is that what my life looks like? Maybe it looks like my husband and my children are my greatest treasures. And indeed, they are my most precious treasures on earth. But do I value them more than I vaule Christ? Or do I treat them and care for them in ways that demonstrate that Christ is my supreme treasure?
           Perhaps it looks like I value a particular lifestyle more than anything else – like being able to garden and live in a rural place. Maybe my home, or my material possessions have become my greatest treasures. It could be a car, or a job, or money.... anything really. Social media.... does the amount of time that I spend on the internet demostrate that Christ is my highest treasure?

           Or maybe the thing that I value most highly is simply..... .myself. Far too often, it probably looks like my “to-do” list is my highest treasure. Being able to say that I got done what I wanted to do today. Have my goals, my dreams, my desires or my time become my greatest treasures? Or am I willing to lay aside my agenda and meet needs that come my way or lay aside my own plans because I value Christ more than these things of “mine”.

            Jesus, You are my greatest treasure. I want my life to demonstrate that – that I treasure You above all else. That I find my joy, my purpose, my all - in You.

You can listen to or read the whole sermon over here at Desiring God:

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/dont-waste-your-life--2