“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

We treasure what we consider valuable. On my desk is a rock. It isn’t valuable to anyone else, but I consider it special because it is a souvenir from a significant event in my life. I am the only person I know that would give this rock a second look. But, I have placed value in something others overlook.

When I value something, I hope to enjoy it forever. At some point in my life, I lost my teddy bear. It was a bear my grandmother gave me as a preschooler. The last time I saw it, one eye was missing, one arm was almost torn off and much of the fur was moth-eaten. It looked dirty and worn out, but it was valuable to me. Even as an adult, I had my bear stored in some box in the garage or closet, or attic. The problem is I can’t remember where I saved it.

What I value predicts where I can be threatened. For a long time, my dog had one chew bone in the back yard. She enjoyed retrieving it and often would prance around the yard tossing it in the air. The problem arose when I presented her with a second chew bone. Now, she had a problem. She wanted both bones. With frantic energy she attempted to keep me from stealing both bones. Before, protecting one valuable bone was easy. Now, the prosperity of two valuable bones made life threatening. Like the dog, our life becomes complicated when we value too many things in our lives.

Why I value something is because I treasure it. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.” When we show our treasure, we show our heart. There is usually a story behind our treasure. That story justifies why we treasure something others might call junk. I have a watch chain from my great-grandfather that I wear. Inside the fob is a photograph of my great-grandmother. Under the photograph is a clipping of her hair. I’m not sure how much gold is in the chain, but I am sure the memories it contains are priceless. But, I had to tell you the story for you to appreciate my value of my treasure.

It is also true that some valuables are not worth treasuring. The preschooler who values a helium balloon will soon be grieving. Many valuables have rusted away. Others have been accidentally destroyed. Others have been stolen or lost. In the end, we realize that not everything is worth us placing our whole heart and soul.

A better goal is to find something with lasting value to celebrate. Real value is something that cannot be destroyed, lost, or stolen. Real value is appreciated by others without requiring the justification of its worth. Real value is something that appreciates with time. The best treasures in life last forever.

One or two thousand years from now, my teddy bear will not matter. My dog and her bone will not be my focus. My antique watch chain will be out of my prevue. But, one thing will be my ultimate treasure. That treasure is to know that I have an eternal place in heaven with Jesus. On that day, this world and its cheap treasures will not be my focus. I will have escaped the mirages of satisfaction I have seen advertised by the temporal powers of this world. When this ultimate day comes, I will treasure the approval of my Savior and the gift of His fellowship.

Because that is a treasure that exceeds all else, today I make it my priority to give my heart to the Lord, not the world made up of balloons that burst and teddy bears that wear out. I need to invest today in eternal things, not temporary things of this world. For that reason, I commit today to cherish the Lord and what He offers. He will be my focus. He will be my priority. And I will share my treasure with anyone who is willing to listen. And, like any other treasure, I will not measure my happiness by your agreement with me about value. My happiness will be rooted in the celebration I feel in my heart for the One who makes it eternally possible.

Bro. John A. Temple is pastor of Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church, 4032 Poplar Springs Drive, Meridian. Visit the church website at www.psdbc.org.