“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
I took an armload of books to the public library yesterday. They have a place where donated books can be left. So…with tears…and a prayer as if I was standing at a grave site, I left them for future unknown readers. If I had a handful of dirt in my hand, I would have thrown it on the covers.
Books are my chocolate, my weakness. Amazon makes it too easy. Garage sales are like going on a hunt for buried treasure. Of course, I haven’t read all the books that I have. Many of them have been a part of my library since Moby Dick was a minnow. They make creaking sounds as I open their covers. The pages have yellowed. Dangling threads reveal a time when book covers were made differently.
Giving up books is like giving up my tickets to a Colorado Rockies game. No, just kidding on that one. It would be more like giving up my first-class seat on a transatlantic flight and having me sit between two toddlers who persist in synchronized bawling. So…understand that taking that armload of literature to the library is a step toward maturity.
Honestly, if I passed away in the next few days, Carol would box up almost all of the books and donate them to the library. They wouldn’t survive past the viewing! So…I’m the one who is obsessed. Carol would be ready to turn the page, so to speak.
Each of us has something that could be labeled as our kryptonite, the thing that we treasure to excess. The thing we envision being a part of heaven’s mansion. For some, it might be a pantry of cookies and baked goods. For others, it’s a vault filled with cash and bonds. For still others, it’s family pictures that tell of past journeys and blessings.
What is it that gets stored up? What is it that I think twice about parting with? What is it that would not survive a catastrophe? The harsh, honest truth is that most of our treasures will end up on the curb, at Goodwill, or given to someone who will end up putting them in a box and dumping them in the far corner of the basement. Although our treasures have value to us, in the eyes of others they are junk or, at best, a bother.
What does have value is our relationship with Jesus? Although others may not comprehend its priceless significance, our relationship with Jesus will neither rust nor tatter. Thieves can’t take it. Judgmental people can’t render a verdict against it. Pessimists can’t peck away at it. It’s a treasure that retains its value…for eternity.
It’s painful, but I’m on a mission to lessen the number of books on my shelves and increase the volume of my intensity with Jesus.
Words from WW Blog 