Life’s Hardest Lessons

Welcome to another Still in the Storm Substack post.

Today, I will be talking about a challenging yet important topic.

The hardest lessons we face in life.

What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned in your life so far? 

Mine was when my Dad passed away. 

It happened so fast that it felt like his life had been frozen in time. 

One day he was working and the next he was dying of pancreatic cancer. 

After he passed I tried desperately to hold onto as much of his things as I could to keep his memory alive. 

Fast forward about 6 months and my car was broken into. 

The only thing stolen was a prized item of my Dad’s. 

I was heartbroken but it made me realize that no material item of his would ever bring him back. 

As I looked over some of his things I understood how one second we are here accumulating tons of material stuff and wealth, and the next we can be gone. 

And when we leave none of that stuff goes with us. It spoke to me of the true value of material things. 

We are so fixated on storing up treasure here on earth but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. 

If you are striving for eternal life then I’d caution you to heed the advice of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

It certainly put things into perspective for me as I dealt with a very difficult situation. 

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. - Matthew 6:19

Let me ask you a question. When you are born and enter this world, do you bring anything? What about when you leave it?

The answer is a resounding NO!

Last I checked we all come in with literally nothing, not even clothes and as I witnessed with my Dad, we don’t take anything when we leave either.

It’s not something we think about often but perhaps we should, especially considering the obsession that most of us have with storing up material goods.

My Dad acquired quite a few over his lifetime and I have myself. There was nothing more revealing than to see him gone but all of his things remaining. 

Not only that but those items, noted as treasures in the verse above, will always and eventually wear out. They will break down, become rusted out, eaten by moths, and more.

There is nothing physical or material in God’s creation that lasts forever. 

Another thing that can happen to things that we treasure is that they can be stolen, just as the item of my Dad’s was when my car was broken into.

Yes, physical treasures are fleeting.

To be clear, I am talking about material items that we possess and treasure.

To better contextualize what I am referring to let’s take a quick look at the definition of treasure.

Treasure

(noun) a quantity of precious metals, gems, or other valuable objects.

(verb) keep carefully (a valuable or valued item).

— New Oxford English Dictionary

Most of you may only think of treasure as something pirates bury which may contain gold and other precious gems. Certainly, there is a context here of a valuable object but it is more than that.

We don’t tend to just accumulate stuff, we treasure it or keep it carefully. We allow it to occupy not only a place in our homes but also our hearts.

Well, God wants to fully occupy all of our hearts and He wants us to store up heavenly or spiritual treasures which are all some form of Him.

I like the way A.W. Tozer put it:

“The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One.” - A.W. Tozer from “The Pursuit of God”.

In my last post, I wrote about how we were tested during covid. There the treasure was largely a job or career that was occupying hearts.

The point is largely the same though. God tests us to see if we will open space for Him in our hearts or hold onto our treasures. Will we withhold them from Him?

This goes completely against what this world tells us almost from birth, but our time here is fleeting. Our days are numbered.

We now have a question before us.

Will we spend our remaining time here accumulating treasures that won’t last or will we start to build those stored in heaven for eternity?

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:20

Jesus tells us that your treasure will always be within your heart. The two cannot be separated. That is why we must be careful who and what we treasure.

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Luke 12:32-34

I also talked about Abraham in my last post. He had everything but, he possessed nothing. That is the key. Our real treasures are inward and eternal.

The evil one tempts us to fill our hearts with material worldly treasures that he knows will not last. It’s a ruse to trick us into living for this world and not for the Kingdom of Heaven.

The path forward is not easy but, it is worth it. You may have even heard it before. We must enter through the narrow gate. No small task if you ask me.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. - Matthew 7:13-14

I implore you to protect your heart. You are God’s treasure, His masterpiece and He wants you for eternity.

Let me know what you think in the discussion below.

Talk soon,

Mike

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