“What did you see?” I asked my friend Cathy.
“Just a bunch of nuthin’.”
Cathy is a treasure hunter. Every weekend she combs estate sales for valuable artwork, china, jewelry, and antiques. It’s a good day when she finds a rare piece of furniture buried in the contents of someone’s attic or a perfectly preserved brooch in the jumble of an old jewelry box.
Cathy’s been doing this awhile and has developed a good eye. She can separate the junk from the gems with a quick glance. That’s why it didn’t take her long to scan the items offered at the sale we attended and declare, “No valuables here. Just a bunch of nuthin’.”
My friend's assessment reminded me that one day, a similar treasure hunter will examine the contents of my estate. He’ll look at the way I invested my time, talents, and treasure with his all-seeing eye and pronounce a judgement. He’ll heap my works into a great big pile and set a match to it.
“But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value” (1 Cor. 3:13 NLT).
“If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames (v. 14-15 NIV).
The stuff I’ve done to build my kingdom—poof. Gone like a marshmallow in a campfire.
The stuff I’ve done to build God’s kingdom—refined. Shining like gold in a California stream.
I’ve lived enough of my life to realize that temporary things bring temporary pleasure, but permanent things bring lasting joy. And rewards that will last for eternity. Because I fear losing my reward and dread the shame of squandering what God has entrusted me with, I must choose carefully how I spend my time, talent, and treasure. I must invest it wisely in things that matter in eternity.
I don’t want to stand before the Lord as he examines my life and hear him declare, “No valuables here. Just a bunch of nuthin’.”
What about you? What changes might the Lord be calling you to make to ensure that you have a hefty pile of enduring treasure to lay at his feet on the judgment day?
I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to leave a comment below, or if you’re reading by email, CLICK HERE to visit Hungry for God online, scroll to the bottom of the post, and leave a comment there.
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I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord.
Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.
Then, be sure to VALIDATE the confirmation email you receive.
Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.
Because busy women need to connect with God in the craziness of everyday life.
Amen Ms. Lori. The greatest investments we can make are in our SRA (Spiritual Retirement Account). The things we do in God's name, for His glory and kingdom, are "investments in eternity." Thank you for this wonderful reminder. These imperishable things are what we should be working for. God's blessings ma'am.
ReplyDeleteI shared this on Facebook. I hope others will enjoy it as much as I did. Take care, Lori.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Lori. I may spend years buiding an earthly kingdom only to have it crumble. And the ruins are worthless. But treasures in heaven and investing in God's kingdom bring the most ROI-return on investment. I pray to be like Jesus and not be busy about the world's stuff, but about my Father's business.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great reminder that our treasures are in Heaven, not here on earth! While people are hoarding things out of fear, I am placing my trust in God.
ReplyDelete