The world would be a better place if we all met for a few minutes over a cup of Door County Country Morning Blend Coffee. Can you imagine what that would be like?
As I write from my den I am surrounded by trophies and gifts of mine that were awarded, shot, or given to me as gifts. There are a lot of memories in each and every dead animal on the wall or the pictures hung with care. Rene and I both have a collection of athletic trophies for baseball, football, volleyball and the one trophy we won together for bowling. Some day all of these will need to be redistributed among those who will be around after die. I can imagine some of my family might keep one or two of my treasures but most I believe will be rummaged, given away or tossed. I can see them now wondering about a trophy for little league baseball with the year of 1982. Doing the math they would realize that "their little leaguer" was 25 years old when this trophy was awarded. They probably don't even know that I coached little league baseball.
Why this nostalgic trip down depression lane you say? No, not really a trip of sadness but a trip to make a statement of truth. All these things that I consider to be treasures will some day be someone else's treasures or trash to get rid of. What is of most value are the treasures one can lay up in heaven.
Matthew 6:19-21New King James Version (NKJV)
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.My heart is laid up in heaven. The one thing I can keep forever is my heart.
Having the heart in heaven is the secret of living heavenly. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12:34) “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Man lives out what is in the heart. To live heavenly, you must have heaven in your heart and your heart in heaven.
We are to treasure the Lord Jesus most of all. When Jesus is our treasure, we will commit our resources—our money, our time, our talents— and our hearts to His work in this world. Our motivation for what we do is important 1 Corinthians 10:31. Paul encourages servants that God has an eternal reward for those who are motivated to serve Christ: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving”
Those trophies are mine and will always be. These Earthly treasures although nice will someday end. So I enjoy them for now a little but place more emphasis on heaven and where my heart will be forever.
God bless,
Marty
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