City Life Starter

Written by Stefan Johnsson

The Word

The kingdom of heaven is like a 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.

Matthew 13:44

²⁹ “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. ³⁰ For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹ But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

³² “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:29-34 (NKJV)

For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Those heard it said, “then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Luke 18:25-27 (ESV)

Reflection

Many years ago, I remember telling God that there is no material possessions worth keeping on this earth except my music library collection. It was years in the making and losing something like this would be irreplaceable. I will not admit that the library was or was not legally obtained. Let’s just say, i had thousands of kind friends willing to share simultaneously their love of similar type of music with me. 🙂

Now, of course, I realize how foolish it was. The collection is gathering dust and i haven’t touched it in years. If it wasn’t digital, I’m sure the moth and rust would have already destroyed it or maybe I’d have pawned it off to an antique store.

Isn’t it interesting how some things we treasure more than God turns out to be worthless in the end?

This is a good example on how to approach the parables for this week. Is God asking us to sell all we have and give to the poor in order to follow Him? Maybe this is the case for some, but that’s not necessarily what Jesus is getting at here. The problem is when we have possessions that mean more to us than God. We store our treasure on earth instead of in Heaven. We accumulate wealth to buy more toys to have and keep for ourselves.

If you (and your family) left your house today for vacation and then everything was gone when you came back, would you have lost things that held more meaning than God? Would you blame God or trust Him to give you all you need to make it through? How you view your own possessions affects how you view others.

There is a reason why faith and boldness in God tends to resonate more with the poor. As they have no possessions on earth worth keeping, they are more likely to go where God calls them. There is a freedom that comes when you have less to hold on to. God wants this for all of us because he can use an able and ready servant more than one who regrets leaving material possessions behind.

More often than not, we treat material possessions with God the way that a child does with a toy.

Application

Take the time today and think about this scenario. If God tells you to sell everything, and move to Syria to be a witness for His Kingdom there, would you go? The chances that God calls you there may be very low, but would you go where God calls you? It may mean giving up a job to move somewhere that God wants you to go.

Let’s go even deeper. If you knew that your death would be in five years if you went to Syria but in the process save thousands, would you hesitate to go? What if you also knew that if you stayed where you were, you’d have a comfortable life and live to your 90s. Would this change your thinking?

We don’t realize how much stock we put in this life on earth when eternity awaits us with God. Seek God and not material possessions. Seek His will and not your own. Material possessions will then become secondary and a tool for God’s kingdom. Your giving and care for others will increase more than you can imagine.

Prayer

Lord and Father, help me to store my treasure in heaven where it cannot be destroyed and taken away. Let me be used by Your will to reach others for Your kingdom and the enjoyment that comes with eternal life. Let my material possessions be a tool that You can use rather than something I fight to hold on to. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.