Ollie says:
"Does dat be includin' me restraunt and me stove and such, too?...Oh. Right. Meybbe it does."
Matthew 6:19-21, Mark 10:17-22
Psalm 33:13-17
"Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on
earth(Colossians 3:2)."
I used to attend a bible study group in a bad neighborhood. The
group leader, Noah, kept buying televisions and computers because
people kept breaking in and stealing them. I mentioned Matthew 6:19-21
to Noah because he seemed upset. But I don't know if I could handle
such a situation myself.
I'm a very material person. Sometimes I think I couldn't live
without the internet and computers. I have a favorite pillow(I'm very
upset if I can't have it), computer peripherals and websites, a
nintendo, a playstation, and, of course, art supplies and artwork. One
time I punched my little brother because he crumpled up my drawing. I
curse when I lose art supplies. And above all, I value my time. I get
incredibly angry when someone makes me spend time doing something I
don't like. I don't even like going to work for this reason.
Obviously, this week's bible verses are very difficult for me to
accept. At first, the story of the rich man didn't sink in. Inspired
by it one day, I took a lot of things (things I didn't care about) to
the thrift store. I thought this was how to get treasure in heaven. It
was a nice idea, but it wasn't really where my heart was. My heart was
set on my time and my artwork. Martin Luther once wrote, "Whatever
your heart relies on and clings to is your God." (That's not the exact
quote, but it's something like that.)
At one time, I even thought that a website could be a heavenly
treasure because it has no real physical presence. But websites are
earthly treasures, too. Perhaps we should reinterpret this verse for
the internet. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures in cyberspace,
where bugs and viruses corrupt, and hackers break in and steal, but
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."
But no, our hearts should not even cling to cyberspace. Instead we
should cling to the true heaven. We should enrich our heavenly
treasures by giving to the poor, and helping the needy. We should give
of the treasure of our time and help others. And I think it helps to
meditate on what exactly we will get in heaven once we get there. For
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Dear Father in heaven, often our hearts are in the wrong place. It's
very easy to love our material possessions instead of loving you and
other people. Sometimes we love our things, the internet, our time and
money and other things more than you. But Lord, when we value these
things more than everything else, we do not increase our heavenly
treasures. We all too often accept the ENRONs of this world instead of
working for the Fortune 500 company of your heavenly kingdom. Heavenly
Father, give us a change of heart. Help us to stop loving the
treasures of this world. Instead, help us to get on the fast track to
success in heaven. Help us to gain that wealth that is not of this
world, the wealth of heaven. Amen.