Tracking Down My Heart
Elisa Morgan
I love treasure hunts. I always have. The hunt for the golden egg on Easter morning when I was five. The scavenger hunt through the neighborhood for oddball items during a preteen slumber party. The Christmas when my husband, Evan, left clues around the house which finally led to my gift – hidden in the freezer.
In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus takes us on a treasure hunt. With veiled words, he directs us toward a treasure that is eternal – that lasts. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Where is our treasure? In what are we investing our time and talent? When we read Jesus’ words, we unwrap the only clue he offers. Your treasure is where your heart is.
So where is that?
I want to believe that my treasure is securely invested in the lives of my loved ones and the ministries God assigns me. But when I track down my heart, I often find that my treasure is, in fact, in myself and in what makes life easier for me.
There are too many times when my treasure is in my well-planned schedule. Or parked in the garage, freshly washed. Or hanging in my closet. Or in my checking account. Or in being right. My treasure is sometimes in my identity and the labels of my life: mom, grandmom, wife, speaker, author, board member, friend.
When we hunt with our hearts, we often discover that our treasure is invested in a thousand good things. Things which bring pleasure and meaning. But are these things eternal?
Sigh. When we invest our hearts solely in the temporal world, we are storing up where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. Cars won’t stay clean and won’t run forever. Clothes go out of style or don’t fit in the future. And our own achievements are quickly forgotten.
When we give ourselves wholly to God and his kingdom, then our heart can align with his. In this posture, we can freely give God the say in our decisions, invest ourselves and our time in relationships with people, and spend our money on his kingdom’s purposes – and store up treasure in heaven.
Where is your treasure? Follow your heart and you’ll find it.
Elisa Morgan is the cohost of the podcast, God Hears Her. She is also the cohost of Discover the Word and contributor to Our Daily Bread. Her books include,You Are Not Alone, When We Pray Like Jesus, Christmas Changes Everything, Hello, Beauty Full, and The Beauty of Broken. Connect with Elisa @elisamorganauthor on Facebook and Instagram.
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