Treasures

I'm nesting this week....and no, I'm not pregnant! After being at the amazing One Conference that was held here in Miami last week, and reading the book, No Longer A Slumdog, by K.P. Yohannan, I felt convicted, so I started implementing some due changes.


Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


This was one of the scriptures that God impressed upon me.  After spending time listening and seeing so much need around the world, it made me think a lot about my resources and where the majority of it goes.  My energy, time, money.  I started to think about the lost and needy world that we, in the United States, are practically oblivious to.



If you never read one of K.P. Yohannan's book, I recommend you do! You will be changed. After staying up late one evening in a silent house with this book in hand, I read, and read and read, until I finished the book. 


It hit me like a ton of bricks.  Everywhere I looked all I could see was money spent, energy used up, time gone by. Its ironic how what we sometimes desire to have is the very thing that holds us back in some respects.  Our homes, jobs etc.. We have responsibilities here!  But what is our responsibilty to God?  Jesus warned us about storing up because he knew it would keep us busy and away from the things that are near and dear to His heart.  People.


So I've had quite a week wrestling with this and asking God for clarity. I see how much "rust destroyed" items I have sitting in my garage. Things that were once treasures have received their new home in their temporary "unwanted pile".  I look around and all I see are things that are fading away.  Don't get me wrong,  I love a pretty home, but I don't want it to be my master!


So getting back to the nesting part...I've decided to start by trimming down on the content in our home, well, more of a detox.  I'm getting rid of many of the things that enslave me and rob me of time, energy, and money that I could be investing in my heavenly treasures. Its become our family project, so we're all in this together! 


This week we began in the kids room.  AMAZING how much junk can be gathered in there! We gave each child a supermarket bag and had them fill it up with things to throw out.  Then we had another pile for things to give away or sell. We will be doing this weekly in the kids room so that it can be maintained at an easy level.  "Girls, do you really need 7 pairs of the plastic dress up shoes? Boys, do you need a big bin of random parts for those robots you'll "someday" make?"

As I look through the lens of my culture, I am considered an average middle class American family, but from a wider worldview perspective, I am rich.  My desire is for Jesus to someday find me rich as well.  Rich in love, kindness, generosity, and service to others.  May our heavenly account overflow!


Where are you storing your treasures? 


Linking up at:
womenlivingwell.org/
time-warp-wife.blogspot.com/
www.raisinghomemakers.com