Treasure part 2
The three T's (time, talent, and treasure) are what we have in this world. What we can use to live this life. Which means we ought to use them to love people. Because that's what this life is for. To live is to love and to love is to live. We don't--or I should say we shouldn't--use our time and our talen to get treasure. Instead, we need to understand what our treasure IS. And what our treasure is, is what is valuable to us. It's not necessarily just money. You can't serve two masters. You can't serve God and mammon. Because you'll cling to one and not the other. Hate one and not the other. What you focus on, what you magnify in your life, is what will manifest in your life. If it's all about the pursuit of money then you'll miss out on everything else. Everything that really matters. What I'm trying to say is: People are our treasure. People are what is valuable and important to us. So rather than trying to get something, we need to take care of what we have. Matthew 6:21 says, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." What you focus on is what is important to you. It's important to you BECAUSE you focus on it. Because you put your heart and soul into it. Priorities. And if you're willing to throw people over for stuff... I just gotta say... your priorities are out of whack. You need make sure you're not using two of your T's to get the other one, and leaving the most important thing--PEOPLE--in the dust. And, listen, I'm not saying you should spend yourself into the poor house in order to buy people stuff. I think generosity is a good thing. But in that regard we are called to live out of our abundance. If you have TWO coats and someone doesn't have one, give them a coat. But don't put yourself in a position to freeze to death by giving away your one and only coat. Don't put, or keep, yourself in a bad situation. That's not what your heavenly Father wants for you. Now, let me say this: If God tells you to give something away... you should obey the Lord. Obey your heart. Because He assuredly has something better in store for you. It's ok to have stuff. It's not ok for stuff to have you. If you own something you're not willing to give up... do you own it or does it own you? So be careful, is what I'm saying. Find the balance. Be sure that your heart is leading and guiding you. Follow your heart. But don't feel like "If I don't give up everything I have I'm not being a good Christian." One more time: It's ok to have stuff. It's not ok for stuff to have you. And, honestly, giving people stuff is not as important, or impactful, as giving people your time and talent. Letting people know that they are your treasure. I think this was kind of what Jesus was trying to say in the parable of the field. You find a treasure in a field and you sell everything you have in order to buy the field. People are our treasure. We ought to do everything we can for them. Give everything we have and everything we are. See their need and meet it. Give what we've got. Make people our priority. Make sure they know that THEY are our treasure by giving them our time and our talent!