On Trading Everything to Gain Life-Changing Hidden Treasure

 Jesus says that following him is like discovering priceless treasure hidden in a field. The finder would joyfully sell everything to buy it, as should we!

And so he speaks of living in the Kingdom of God, living with him as our High King and Lord,  as a treasure, worth trading everything for. It's described as experiencing peace, joy, and operating in the power of the Holy Spirit.

As literally selling everything we have would take time, so too will adjusting our lives to living in Christ's invisible Kingdom.

It requires a slow, steady but definite adjustment of each area of our lives: relationships, what we read and watch, consumption and production of social media, travel, leisure, our spending and giving, time spent on food prep and exercise, on prayer and scripture, on reading and the news, on home and garden maintenance, on church activities and volunteering. Some of us will spend less time on these, others will spend more, for we each have a unique shape and calling.

 Entering into the kingdom of God is a very individual pilgrim's progress; we each have a different starting point. Rick Warren of "The Purpose Driven Life" suggests that those seeking to change anything change their bodies first, by getting their exercise and diet under control... which is where I am starting!!

 While following Christ is costly, for sure,  it's costlier to follow what Tim Keller called Counterfeit Gods --“money, the seduction of success, the power and the glory,” climbing a cruel ladder which has no end, and never satisfies for long. 

  In a remarkable account, Bill Bright, founder of Cru, describes his surrender to God as abandoning his puny little plans for God's magnificent plans. Once done, he said the future seemed brighter than ever before... And it undoubtedly was! Jesus's promise that the things the unbelieving world chases will added to those who seek his Kingdom first came true in Bright’s life, as it will in ours as we pursue Christ.

My memoir: Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India UK USA

Blog: anitamathias.com

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My book of essays: Wandering Between Two Worlds (US) and UK

Transcript

                                     How to Find Life-Changing Hidden Treasure

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy, went and sold all he had and bought that field. 

       The Kingdom of God is within you, Jesus says, as

      he suggests that making him the King of all our minutes

        and activities is treasure worth trading everything for. It’s like

        being in constant radio contact with Jesus, placing yourself

        in the torrent of his love and wisdom and the power of his Spirit. 

        It’s promised deep peace, even amid direness, because we know

        God’s power and goodness. It’s the Holy Spirit teaching us all

        things, guiding our work and financial affairs, guidance that’s

        brilliant, timesaving, and (a fringe benefit!) often economically beneficial. 

Trading everything to follow Jesus, who said he’d live in us, as

a vine floods its branches, will, like literally selling everything

we own, take time. It happens inch by inch until the Spirit and Jesus 

and his power and glory gradually invade every square inch of our lives. 

And, progressively, everything will shift--the way we work, our

family relationships, friendships,  what we read and watch, 

the time we spend on exercise, diets, and food preparation,

on maintaining our homes and gardens, on prayer and scripture reading,

on church activities and volunteering, on social media and the news.

Some of us willspend less time on these things; others will spend more,

for we are each created with a unique shape and purpose and calling.

And what am I trading to live more in Jesus’s Kingdom? Well, Rick Warren,

of The Purpose-Driven Life, suggests that those who want to change

anything should begin by changing their bodies. So I am walking and

  running while praying and listening to Scripture, gradually increasing mileage

so I don’t regain the 82 pounds I had lost. And I’m prioritising

decluttering and bringing order and beauty to my home and garden

while getting my goal steps and burning my goal calories.

It’s costly to follow Jesus, for sure, but far, far costlier to decide not to,

and instead chase what Tim Keller calls “counterfeit Gods:”“money,

the seduction of success, the power and the glory,” to climb

a cruel ladder which has no end and never satisfies for long.

 Bill Bright, founder of Cru, describes his surrender to Christ

 as abandoning his puny little plans, and embracing God’s

 magnificent plans.Once done, he said, the future seemed brighter

 than ever. As we invite Jesus into each square inch of our lives,

 he promises that the things the unbelieving world runs after 

 will also be added to us. May it be so. Amen.