Sneaky Sins, Part One

"For God so loved the world...

Sneaky Sins, Part One

Jim Piper | August 18, 2009 | Comments (0)

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6.19-21

Underestimating the power of our affections

The phrase I want us to camp on is “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Notice Jesus links our treasure to our heart. He could have said, “If you’re looking for your heart, you’ll find it sitting right next to your treasure.” So what do we do with this?

1. Recognize that our hearts are being shaped by where we attach our affections.

If we give our affections to things that perish, we have nothing left to do but mourn. If we place our affections on eternal matters, we have something to look forward to regardless of what happens to us here on earth.

2. Take an inventory of our affections.

Examine where we spend most of our time, thinking, and money. This might not seem fair sense most of us work or go to school or both. God knows we need to work. The question is “Who do we work for?” and “How do we work?” Do we do our work with excellence and integrity as if we were working for Christ himself? Or do we work simply because we need the money or the degree? What does our checkbook say about our financial priorities? What does our mind tend to focus on much of the time? The answer to these questions is the process of taking an affection inventory. It reveals where are heart can be found. Are you happy about what you have discovered?

3. Think Christ at the center, not as a priority.

I believe it is impossible to be a joy-filled follower of Christ and think in terms of “priorities.” I do not believe our relationship with God can be placed in an order of things. It misses the mark to get up in the morning, pray, read your bible, and then check God off your list and move on to priority #2. Instead, what if you thought of God living at the center of all you do and think? What if you allowed him to be your wisdom at work, your friend, your mentor, and your source of strength – no matter the task in front of you? If there are priorities in life, what if you asked God to help you prioritize. In doing this, God becomes the center of your life, the focus of your heart’s affection – your treasure.