Where is your treasure?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

Where is your treasure? Or in other words, where is your money? What do you spend it on? And in a society where time is also valuable, what do you spend your time on?

Because that will say a lot about where your heart is. Where your priorities are, what your focus is.

In a society where a lot of our time is spent earning money, and that money is then spent on ourselves, I'm not sure that says anything good about our hearts.

Plenty of people will right about now be saying, 'But I earn money to support my family - that's where my heart is.' True, and that's not wrong but I would like to challenge a lot if people to think about the lifestyle they are paying for and whether that is really what their family needs?

My instinct is to tread carefully here, to not upset anyone or make anyone feel bad about earning money or having nice things.

But then another part of me - an increasingly stronger part - starts to feel sick at the disgusting excess in our culture. The selfish state of our lives and hearts. The hypocritical political correctness that prevents us from talking about money while so many suffer.

We are storing up treasures for ourselves here on earth, like that is going to get us somewhere.

'Planning for the future' is not even an excuse. Because most of us are doing it out of fear, the opposite of trusting God - I need my money. I need to take care of me, or who else will?

We spend our time and money on ourselves, on gluttonous businesses without regard for those trampled on to supply them, on building up our wealthy, secure indulgent lives...

We have no time left over for real community. For giving generously to others. For lavishing love. For nurturing relationships.

Where are we storing up our treasure? Is your heart focused on yourself or the kingdom of God?

Don't be afraid. Don't conform to what is expected in our self-centred society. Don't justify or make excuses. Examine yourself. Make room in your heart and life for the ways of God, no matter the sacrifice of time, money or desires for yourself and see the heavenly results. You might just have a change of heart....




Don’t reduce your life to the pursuit of food and drink; don’t let your mind be filled with anxiety. People of the world who don’t know God pursue these things, but you have a Father caring for you, a Father who knows all your needs.
Since you don’t need to worry—about security and safety, about food and clothing— then pursue God’s kingdom first and foremost, and these other things will come to you as well.
My little flock, don’t be afraid. God is your Father, and your Father’s great joy is to give you His kingdom.
That means you can sell your possessions and give generously to the poor. You can have a different kind of savings plan:one that never depreciates, one that never defaults, one that can’t be plundered by crooks or destroyed by natural calamities.

Your treasure will be stored in the heavens, and since your treasure is there, your heart will be lodged there as well.

I’m not just talking theory. There is urgency in all this.

Luke 12:29-36

Project 3:11 - Unexpected outcomes

Project 3:11 started as a simple experiment to go a year without buying clothes. I planned to take it as a time to think about the way I used my money, and consider how I could help others less fortunate rather than thinking about my own material gain.

But God had more in store.

Not long after starting my no shopping experiment, I became pregnant and most other things took a back seat to the beginning of my family.

I had to buy a few clothes, or I would have literally had to wear nothing once my belly got too big to just stretch my tops over. But I still limited my purchases to a minimum - I think I only bought a total of 5 pieces of clothing in the year period I had set myself.

Because of pregnancy and morning sickness and all that goes with it, I didn't really have a chance to explore the subject like I was going to but over the last year or so, both my husband and I have come to knew understandings and new attitudes about money and possessions.

It just goes to show that when God puts something on your heart, it is Him at work, even when it seems like life gets in the way. His purposes still prevail - we don't have to worry. We just have to be obedient and willing to listen to his voice. Once we let Him in, He does the rest.

My husband has even given up guaranteed job security to put his faith in God to provide, and open the doors He has said he will. We are not completely sure of the path God is leading us on yet, but we are open to wherever he takes us.

The results of listening to God's promptings often takes us to unexpected, but ultimately perfect places.

Sometimes the lessons can seem hard and maybe even painful - letting go of worry about what others think, of the guarantee of a steady income, going against the status quo... it can be scary to take that leap of faith. But it is often only a perception of coming pain that frightens us; in the reality after we do leap, we find no matter where it takes us God has already gone before and prepared a way.

We can walk boldly in to anything that God has set before us knowing we go with his protection and power.

So the unexpected results of Project 3:11 went far beyond just curbing a shopping habit, and reached into the very fabric of our family values and the direction of our lives. Totally God, and not down to me. I was too busy watching my belly grow to even notice it was happening.

It's only now that I look back over the last year, and over the years before that, and see the path that God has been gently coaxing us along the whole time.

And because God did it, it was almost easy. The times it was hard were usually because I took my eyes of Jesus and started worry, like Peter stepping out of the boat and then looking away to the wind and the waves.

Money has become much less of a focus, a career for the sake of getting rich is not our goal, and the purposes of God are far more important and fulfilling than any amount of security money can buy.

And we have learned a lot of lessons about complete faith. We have a long way to go to even reach mustard seed size I'm sure, but they have been valuable lessons.

And our journey is not the same as anyone elses - just because we have given up full time work or secure positions does not mean God is asking everyone to do the same. Just because I felt called to considered my shopping and spending habits doesn't meant everyone else needs to also.

But I think there are clear ideas all Christians should be considering in their lives
- We cannot serve both God and money/possessions/materialistic concerns (Matt 6:24)
- We should not be defined by our outward appearance (1 Sam 16:7, 1 Peter 3:3-4)
- We should be looking for the approval of God before the approval of others (Gal 1:10)
- Every good thing is a gift from God - while we may have worked to earn the money, who gave us    the ability and skills and opportunity to work in the first place? (Dueteronomy 8)
- Everything is God's, we are custodians and stewards. We should give freely out of that. (Genesis 1:1, Psalm 24:1, Luke 6:38)
- We are working ultimately for God, not for men. (Col 3:23)
- We should focus on storing up heavenly treasures, not earthly ones. (Matt 6:20)

And in any area of our lives, when we take steps of faith for God we can be sure...

He cares about our needs.
He will provide for us.
He will bless us with an abundance.
He will never leave us nor forsake us.


Look at the birds - they don't toil and reap, and yet our Heavenly Father provides for them. Aren't we so much more valuable than these? How much more will God care for us? (Matt 6:26)





Go Here for the other posts on Project 3:11

'Your best life'

"Your best life". I hate that phrase. I've seen it as the tag line for churches, and I hate it. Because everyone is looking at that tag line, and I just know the life they are thinking of. They are thinking of this earthly, temporary one. They are thinking 'how do I get my best life, right now?'

Is that really your best life? Is this best part of your existence?

As Christians, why aren't we looking past the physical to see what our 'best life' should really look like?

I've been wrestling with decisions lately that have made me really contemplate what living my 'best life' looks like - and I'm finding that sometimes the best life according to Jesus is going to look like craziness to other people. How do you explain to a world fixated on having and earning and gaining, that I'm taking time - unpaid, financially unprofitable time - to study the Word of God, to sit at the feet of Jesus, to live in faith that what I'm sowing into right now, though it's not putting money in the bank, it's going to pay off so much more richly? How do you explain that?

Well, you can't really. People are going to think you are wasting your time. They are going to wonder why you seem to be just sitting there when there are things to be done.

I guess it depends on where you are sitting. If you are just sitting down in front of the TV, well, they're probably right. Why are you just sitting there?

But if you are sitting at the feet of Jesus - if you are truly waiting on him and letting him lead you no matter where it takes you - then you have 'chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from [you].' Luke 10:42

Other things to look at:


http://sammyadebiyi.com/blogs/sammy-adebiyi/butt-chins-forehead-feet-and-jesus