My Treasure

​“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:33 

About two years ago I had a lot of transition in my life. I graduated college and the college internship I was a part of, moved two times, contemplated moving back home to California, and eventually changed jobs after being there for a total of almost 4 years – it felt like my head was spinning. Along with all of this transition, I pretty much found myself in the midst of an identity crisis. I had left everything I knew the past four years and had no idea who I was without it. Everything that I was and had done surrounded that one place. People would ask me what I liked to do “in my free time” and I genuinely had no idea how to answer them because majority of my free time had also been spent there.
 
I loved my time there. I would not trade those four years for anything. Being there made me the person I am today – I grew more than I could have imagined when I moved to Oklahoma at 18 years old. I realize that is a typical college story, but the after effects opened my eyes to something I pray I will never forget again.
 
Through those four years, even though I moved around more than the average person does in ten years, I was doing exactly what God wanted me to do. I was in the midst of my calling. My schooling, my work, my community of people, all of it was God ordained and yet, it all came crashing to a halt. At first I had no idea why or how it happened. I struggled through depression; I struggled through finding community again; I struggled with finding a job again. And one day I realized – it doesn’t matter what you’re doing if you aren’t seeking God above all else.
 
It seems simple right? I’m positive that I even preached those words, thinking that I was doing just that, when I wasn’t. I thought that because I was exactly where God wanted me to be, doing the things God wanted me to do, that it was the same thing as seeking His face. It’s not.
 
It is so easy for all of us to become consumed with what we’re doing in life. We spend hours on end doing something without giving it a second thought because it's just what we do. Our foundation will be built upon, and our identity found in, the thing we spend the most time on. Where do you spend most of your time? At your job? With your family? With your friends? At your church? Volunteering? All of these things are great things. God wants you to have a job. God wants you to spend time with your family. He wants you to be in a strong, healthy community. He has called fellowship and church a good thing. Serving others is something we are all called to do. Some of these are things we need to do. But none of it matters if we aren’t actively seeking His face and growing closer to God in intimacy.
 
Everything else can fail you. Something can happen at work where you lose your position, get fired, laid-off, or your business could suffer. Your family can say hurtful things, even without meaning to. Your friends, pastors, mentors, leaders, etc. are human – no one is perfect and they could potentially hurt you or let you down. I can't count how many people have told me that the church has hurt them - I have said that. But I realize now that the church is made up of humans who are not perfect and need grace just as much as I do. Jesus is the only firm foundation. Jesus is the only one who will not let you down. 
 
I’ve had to really focus on making intimacy with the Lord my top priority again. Matthew 6:21 says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Your treasure is whatever you value the most; whatever you spend the most time on. For me, my treasure was my college internship, a job that I loved, and the things I was getting to do to serve the people around me. Though all of these things were because of God and obedience to His call, my focus shifted from “being with God” to “doing for God”. This shift in focus caused a shift in my treasure and a false sense of identity. I am re-focusing on my true treasure. I am choosing to keep intimacy with the Lord as my treasure instead of all of the other things the world has to offer. This foundation cannot be shaken. This treasure cannot be taken. 
 
Where is your treasure?

-VLM Staff - DP

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