Treasured Heart, Stable Heart – Richard Barbee Marriage Counselor
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 | Faith / Spirituality / Church | No Comments
Treasured Heart, Stable Heart
Richard Barbee Marriage Counselor Knoxville TN
In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks to the multitudes saying:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth consume, and where thieves break in and steal;
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal;
For where the treasure is, there will they heart be also
Like you, I have read and heard this many times. Recently, I was re-reading “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In the chapter titled “The Simplicity of the Carefree Life”, Bonhoeffer reviews the importance of placing possessions, status, money, and achievements in proper perspective. We all need that reminder at least once a day….right? Bonhoeffer’s admonishment is that follows of Jesus Christ must pay close attention to the attachments of the heart, the connections with things that last.
Yet, when I read this passage again, I began thinking about the nature of God’s directions to us. I have always believed that God’s precepts and mandates are not designed to place unreasonable, heavy burdens on us, to deny every impulse we have. I believe that God is a good parent and gives us safe, protective guidance. What is the bigger message of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6? Clearly, laying up treasures in heaven refers to building a life in which we choose actions related to service, sacrifice, giving, forgiving, thinking eternally, acting righteously. If our life is spent collecting things and achieving status, we enter heaven empty-handed.
In my work as a therapist, I see the stress and volatility that many people experience. Many of my clients feel up and down on a daily basis. I mention this NOT to judge or belittle. It is just that I see the emotional turmoil of daily crises and dramas. When our hearts are attached to fleeting illusions or temporary possessions, we set ourselves up for big disappointment and utter futility. If we value things and positions, our hearts’ foundation is built upon ideas and possessions that can so easily be lost. What type of strategy is it to built the bedrock of our heart on cars, clothes, status, or wealth? Has Jesus not warned us of the consequences?
We are not robots or dispassionate entities in life. Events and relationships matter. Events and relationships affect us. It does feel good to achieve a diploma, a promotion, some savings, etc. Productivity in a responsible life will bring good things like this. But where is the heart? By heart, we refer to the part of us that produces our sense of identity, purpose, value, and meaning. From where does you sense of purpose and position flow?
Yet, is Jesus trying to protect us from the hyper-volatility and instability of misplaced priorities and values? I believe that God wants us to grow into a non-reactive maturity that communicates a sense of consistent trust in His control. At the time we choose to place our heart toward higher, eternal purposes, we gain traction and balance. Our minds are directed in sounder, firmer paths. There is no reason to feel devastated by a loss on earth when we are assured of eternal life, when we are close to God. Several Christian authors have written about understanding our identity in Christ, and those works are valuable. The point is simply that if we need possessions and positions to feel good about life, our hearts are misdirected. We will experience a roller coaster of emotion and doubt and even resentment if we do not HAVE what we feel we need to be OK.
When we put the vast majority of our thoughts and actions in acquiring, keeping, and maintaining possessions or status or even relationships, we put ourselves in danger of severe emotional turbulence. If we follow Jesus’ teaching and believe that our meaning is not found in what we have, it is far more possible to achieve this non-reactive maturity. Maturity comes after experience, loss, learning, pain, and perspective. I believe that God wants mature believers operating in this world. It seems clear to me that far too many immature believers and false believers have done enough damage.
It gives me a lot of happiness to see my son beam with pride over a new toy. It hurts me to see my son fret and cry over a broken toy. He is 4. I expect it. I am 40. I would hope that my relationship with God and perspective on life is not tied up in big boy toys, status, wealth, or whatever. If we would just listen to Jesus again, we could save ourselves so much heartache, wasted effort, nonsensical drama. Our heart IS where we get our sense of comfort and safety. Where is that for you? If we find that our heart is not with heavenly matters……
What is the cure? Give something important away…………the same advice that Jesus gave to the rich young ruler. It is not a miracle cure. It is a first step, a gesture of serious motive. We rid ourselves of the one or two things that we are convinced that we need to survive. What is another step? Give your time to helping others get something important. By helping another person achieve a great thing, we take a step awa from serving ourselves only. Or, how about taking time to get alone for a day or two and reflect on the way you spend your time? Reflection and introspection (stopping in our tracks, thinking about our actions, seeking feedback from others) is a rare discipline these days.
Whatever we choose to do, we must refuse to live a life lacking intention and direction.
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