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Verse:“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” — Matthew 6:21, NLT
Many people collect things . To some , they are treasures to be displayed and kept . These treasures can be cars , record albums , toys , magazines , or books with monetary or sentimental value . Collecting things can be a special pursuit , but it can also be detrimental .
Collecting things can become detrimental when it turns into hoarding . Hoarding is when a person holds on to things — or people — to try to relieve uneasy thoughts or emotions , such as loneliness . Sometimes we hold on to things when we do not want to let go of relationships that have ended .
I have been guilty of “ hoarding ” relationships . Sometimes I have put a value on things connected to a family member or put an unrealistic value on someone who has moved out of my life for whatever reason . Then , because of my hoarding whatever was emotionally connected to the relationship , I have become stuck .
Then I had an aha moment . It happened when I was quietly reading Matthew 6:19 – 21. I related it to what was going on in my life and why I was feeling like Lot’s wife — a pillar of salt ( see Genesis 19:15,16,26 ) . I had been placing value on the wrong things and people. Keeping things to remember is not bad, and remembering loved ones or keeping memories of them close to your heart is not evil. However, if we value the things or relationships above God, we will stay stuck in a destructive pattern.
Our heart is where our treasure is. People leave, relationships end , items burn up and get lost , but God is everlasting , true , and honest . He will never leave or forsake us . My treasure is in my relationship with my heavenly Father , not here on this earth where dust and moth can destroy , or where I am rejected for who I am or who I am not . Just as I am loved by God, you, too , are loved and blessed .
Today, be mindful of what you are treasuring. Ask yourself, “Does this thing or person bring true, eternal value into my life, or does it weigh me down , keeping me frozen like a pillar of salt? ” My prayer is that the desires of our hearts will focus on what — and who — bring eternal value. And what we should value above all else is our relationship with our heavenly Father.
Erika Loudermill - Webb