Where your treasure is

"Do not lay up for yourselfs treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where theifs break in and steal; "but lay up for yourselfs treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where theives do not break in and steal.

"For where your treasure is,there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

It goes on to say "The lamp of the body is the eye"... These verses are about where your focus is, where your attentions lie, " Where your treasure is!" The enemy can so easily decieve us into believing our joy and hapiness comes from our surroundings or situations. By this we tend to judge if were happy and content.

This morning I have been thinking about joy and my (so often) lack of it . Discontentment, "the grass is always greener" mentality and the "I want " (fill in the blank) syndrome can permeate a person and make you feel miserable! Why are we prone to try and create joy in our lives by gathering to ourselves? By feeding our own fleshly desires, by acting selfishly.

Epecially at this time of year, because of our culture we start thinking about THINGS and presents and money. Maybe our lack of it! But this is the wrong focus even if our intentions are good.

Jesus said in Luke 12:15 And He said to them "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for ones life does not consist in the things he posesses."

The answer is our focus. "Lord, refocus my eyes" put them back on You. The Bible says, " The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." This is so true ! What is behind the love of money but selfishness. Think of Zacheus. He had money , but when the Lord touched his heart he was compelled to give it all back (and then some) he my friend, found the source of true joy Jesus. The saying JOY- Jesus, Others, Yourself is the right focus.

This kind of joy led him to act contrary to what he had been doing, instead of gathering it to himself, he began to give it all away. Truly joyful people are people who think of others before themselves. People who are willing to go the extra mile because someone else is more important to them than they are to themselves.

One lady I know epitomizes this to me. Gerry Weir or Gram as we call her. She does not have alot. But whatever she has she will freely give away. She is an example of Christ to me.

My digital camera broke recently and I was not able to send pictures to anyone. Well you know what she did? She wrapped up her own camera and the instruction booklet and mailed it to me. She was thinking like Jesus! And you can all thank her for the pictures of the kids.

If God is love, which He is, in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 He explains what love isto us in detail.

"Though I speak with the tounges of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal." And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor , and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love , it profits me nothing.

"Love suffers long and is kind: love does not envy: love does not parade itself, is not puffed up: does not behave rudely, does not seek it's own , is not provoked, thinks no evil.

Does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all thing, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

God is love and love is the opposite of selfishness. In Love God created the earth and everything in it. He saw that it was good. He created it all for our benefit and enjoyment. Everything we use can be traced back to something God made.

In Love He created us with a free will to choose Him, or to deny Him. In Love He created us male and female to have and to hold each other in marraige. In love he gave us offspring, like -kind to be fruitfull and multiply and fill the earth. In love, He gave us the ability to love each other!
In love He so unselfishly gave Himself , His life, for the ransom of many. He is our example of what love is.

We were never meant to look inward or outward at our circumstances for peace, joy and contentment. Joy, true joy comes from Him. May you know His love today, Stephanie