The Treasure Worth Seeking

In a way, living for the kingdom of God is just like living for anything else. If you want to know what a person lives for, see what their treasure is. To see what their treasure is, look at how they spend their time.

Jesus tells us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

We all have treasures in our lives — people or things we wouldn’t want to live without. We hold them close to our hearts and spend most of our time and energy on them. Whether it’s coffee, Netflix, partying, working, family, friends, sports, sex, knowledge, the kingdom of God, or the countless other things we can live for, our lives will be structured around them.

God wants all his children to experience his kingdom to the fullest. He wants us to go through life with the power of his word on our lips. He wants us to be in close communion with the Spirit and delight in his incomparable joys. But for this to happen, Jesus must become and remain our most valued treasure. He must be the one around whom we structure our whole lives, the one in whom we invest the most time.

Jesus Is the Treasure

When Jesus is the treasure we seek, we give him and his word our attention and focus. Our whole day, week, month, year, decade, and life are centered on the value of knowing him. We become conscious of him everywhere we go. We look for him in every situation. We long for his presence and principles in every decision we make, and we become more and more sensitive to the Holy Spirit as we draw closer to him.

In Matthew 13:44, Jesus says, “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.”

When we really encounter Jesus in our lives and glimpse what it’s like to live for the kingdom, it lights a fire in our hearts. We want to sell everything we have and do whatever it takes to follow him. My goal is to keep that fire burning.

I want to be aware at all times of who the treasure is. I want to remain vigilant in my search for the secrets of the kingdom. Through times of trouble and dry seasons — times when I am discouraged and fighting my selfish nature — I want to remember that the kingdom of God is so much bigger than me and that Jesus is the only treasure worth seeking.

The difference it makes when we seek him on a daily basis is incredible. Reading his word and thinking about heavenly things throughout the day helps us learn and remember who he is. And when we spend time in his presence, we grow to know him personally and find peace, strength, and wisdom.

Time With Him

Jesus had a habit of spending quality time with the Father. Even when he was with his friends at Gethsemane, he walked to a place where he could pray one-on-one to the Father (Matthew 26:36-45). Sometimes, he would spend an entire night praying (Luke 6:12). The Father was his treasure. He knew the Father was the source of his strength and that communicating with him was non-negotiable for fulfulling his destiny.

Spending quality time with Jesus is essential on our journey to knowing him. How can we get to know someone if we don’t invest the time to do so? How can we learn and remind ourselves of God’s promises and principles if we don’t take time to read and reflect on his word? How can we consistently be refreshed by the Holy Spirit if we don’t sit with him and enjoy his presence?

We are so busy being busy in this day and age. It seems like there is always somewhere to be and something to be done, and it’s almost like we’re afraid of slowing down for even a second. I strive to have a heart like Mary, who stopped working for a moment to just sit and listen at the feet of Jesus. And in that passage, it’s clear that Jesus wants that from us:

“But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.’ The Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:38-42).

If Jesus truly becomes and remains the treasure we seek, he will become the king of our hearts, and our lives will reflect our adoration for him. We gain the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” by making him our first priority (Philippians 3:8).

I pray we will always remember that he is the only treasure worth seeking. May we make the time to get to know and enjoy him.

– AWW