The World Is Not My Treasure, Christ Is

Jesus drew me into Himself by placing people in my life who looked very different from the rest of the world.  These people were similarly imperfect and broken, but they were also very different from all of the people that I had know to this point in my life.  These Christians were not living the selfish lives devoted to idol-worship like everyone else I knew to this point in my life.  These Christians epitomized what it looks like to devote a life with the goal of bringing glory to God.  They renounced, by action, the worship of money/stuff, self-praise/success, a good time, etc.  I became a Christian because the way that my new friends lived, boldly declared "Jesus is alive."

If we truly believe that the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever; if we want to make people glad in God, our lives must look as if God, not possessions/success/worldly-happiness, is our joy. If you truly understand and are gripped by what Jesus did for YOU on the cross, if you truly have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, if you are a Christian by Jesus' definition, finding joy in Him should be easy.  He freely lifted you from the eternal weeping & gnashing of teeth that you had earned by your sin (your cosmic treason against the creator of everything) and gave to you as a gift freedom, joy ..even heaven.  Christian, does this excite you!?

In 1 Tim 6:17 Paul warns about setting hopes on riches, comfort, money, etc.  Why?  Because God offers us something better.  He says that God "richly supplies us with everything to enjoy".  What more do you need outside of Him?  The Creator of the universe is pursuing an everlasting one-on-one relationship with you.  And yet, we continue to stray.  We continue to seek out temporary relationships with fallen people, to build our personal success, comfort, etc.  Why?  C.S. Lewis famously stated, we are "like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

Friends, no one cares that you drive an Audi, that you shop at Neiman Marcus, eat at the expensive steakhouse downtown, are friends with people in high places, or spend your weekends doing nothing but relaxing & watching football on your massive TV.  Firstly, all of these worldly things will burn & you're not going to them with you when you die.  Secondly, it is simply not impressive.  You're worshiping the same things that everyone who is apart from Christ in this world is worshiping.  John Piper wrote in Don't Waste Your Life that "The world is not impressed when Christians get rich and say thanks to God.  They are impressed when God is so satisfying that we give our riches away for Christ's sake and count it gain."  Or as Donald Miller once wrote: how much would you enjoy a movie about a guy who spent years to earn enough money just to buy a Volvo?  You would want your time & money back after watching that movie.  It's not impressive.  It's not significant.

I know that I have money/responsibilities/connections to show that these things are not my god(s), Christ is.  However, practically living this out is much easier when you're a jobless college student.  Unfortunately, most of us gradually transition into a job that pays in actual US currency.  It has taken me almost a hear and a half to realize just how difficult it is for a Christian to faithfully live amidst such wealth.  I do not indent to throw out a blanket statement demonizing money.  I do believe that it can be a blessing from God and there are plenty of biblical cases to support that claim.  I also believe, in more cases than not, that Satan provides excessive wealth to rip away the joy offered through the cross by Jesus and replace it with lesser-joys.  Satan may also offer us wealth/comfort/success so that the difference that I noticed in the Christians who led me to Christ is not visible.  Isn't that his aim?  Christian or not, idols blind us from true joy.

Lecrae has some great words on the topic: "Ain't nothing wrong with havin’ it. Matter fact, go and get it But if you find identity in it then go ‘n forget it". I do miss the encouragement of living alongside of Christians whose joy is found in Christ alone; who look different than the rest of the world; who could pay cash for that penthouse condo you just bought (though you can't really afford) but instead live moderate lives because they don't need all of these worldly things.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously said in The Cost of Discipleship: "The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ".  Friends, Jesus Christ is is an exponentially greater treasure than every in this world.  Chose to look different and don't be deceived: you can't serve two masters (Matt 6:24).