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Focus on the Treasure

                “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought the field” (Matthew 13:44).                     If our faith is going to be alive and meaningful, we must focus on the treasure and not on the field.
                Years ago, I knew a girl who seemed to have it all.  She was popular, bright and she was dating one of the best athletes in the school.  It seemed like everything was going her way.  However, years later, life has not gone according to plan and now she finds herself in a very difficult place.  God is still blessing her, but she does not seem to know it.  If she could just see the eternal things in her life, she would find deep relationships, forgiveness, grace, joy and freedom.  Sadly, she has lost sight of her treasure because she is so discouraged by the circumstances of her field. 
                The other mistake that we often make is the exact opposite: We like the field too much!  In other words, we act as if the field is our treasure and we become so enamoured with what we have, that we forget to look for what is to come.  Jesus warned of this when he said, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed!  A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).  Then he told a story about a man who had barns full of blessings, but was poor when it came to his soul (verses 16-21).  He ended his comments by reminding us that we ought to treasure the right things because, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (verse 34).
                When we focus on our temporary circumstances, the field, it is easy to become discouraged or distracted. 
However, when we focus on the eternal, the treasure, we find blessings for this life and the life to come.
                As Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well!” (Matthew 6:33)

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