After a spate of seeing God in visions, Jack went back to reading and focusing on the words of God, the Bible. Indeed, the Word of God is life and Spirit.
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Journal Day 18: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…put your heart in the right place!
Matthew 6: 19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Again I am reminded of my heart today. In the past when I read this passage I always thought it meant I needed to donate more money or make less money and spend more time serving in the church etc. Over the years as a Christian, I had indeed tried to comply with this requirement. I enjoyed such activities for a long time. Yes, I enjoyed giving freely, chauffeuring neighborhood children to Sunday school and church camps, forgoing all comforts (washing church toilets, sleeping on hard wooden floor in hot stuffy mosquito infested rooms with no air-conditioning in camps), teaching and training young and old believers, serving God’s people in a number of roles voluntarily.
Yet, however much I thought I gave or served, there was no way I could match the righteousness of the religious Jews in Jesus’ time. So where do I stand in God’s kingdom? What hope do I have serving God even through my best efforts? Not a bit.
Man tends to look and focus at self because it is a survival instinct. It is also because of ignorance. We look at the world which has us at the center. We even look at God that way. For example, previously when I read what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, I thought of God being a God who asked me to do this and do that or not to do a lot of things.
Thank God for changing my perspective. I now realize that Jesus is concerned with the condition of my heart. Yesterday I touched on the issue of debt cancellation. It was not the physical cancellation that Jesus was interested. He was more concerned with the state of my heart. Is it still harboring hurt as a result of loss? Is my heart not being free to trust and love again? Is my heart filled with doubt and anxiety? Is my heart full of worries and heavy burdens? In short, is my heart filled with unbelief?
Today I am again reminded to put my heart in the right place. Anchor my heart on the solid rock of Jesus and His kingdom of heaven!
Again and again Jesus is saying, “Look away from yourself, look at Me!” “Look away from your things, look at My things!”
Indeed, when I start looking at Jesus and the grace (undeserved favor) of God, I realize that the matter of the heart is what counts.
“Christ in us, the hope of glory!”
My application: I am determined to put my heart at the right place. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) By Jesus’ authority, I cast out the workaholic spirit in me!
AAA Jack
2009-03-14
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