The Whosits and Whatsits of My Heart

“'Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.'” Matthew‬ ‭6:19-21‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Honest moment here: I've always been super arrogant when I read these verses. I'm not very materialistic. I don't like things. I don't want stuff cluttering my house. So clearly I've mastered this verse. I obviously store up ALL my treasures in heaven. But as I've been meditating on the verses that lead up to this, God has been showing me that Jesus cares more about what is going on in the secret places, the recesses of my heart that no one sees. I might not externally have a mound of treasures lying around, but what exactly am I treasuring in my heart?

And it is as if God said: I know what your treasure is Katie. The world may not know, but I know. There is was, the object of my collection, the sum total of my whosits and whatsits. I'm quite the hoarder of human adoration. I'm a treasure collector of kind words people say about me. I pile up storehouses like a squirrel fills his hole with nuts. And I munch on them whenever I'm hungry for peace, joy, love.

Now, just like material possessions, the words of adoration are not inherently bad. In fact, God has given them to us to encourage us and lift us up. But if this is where I'm placing my value, if this is how I'm soothing my aches, if this is how I'm finding joy, then I've gone astray. My treasure is not being stored in the right place; these words will fade and tatter. They will die with my body. And as Jesus says just a few verses earlier, if I'm soaking up these words, filling myself with the goodness I feel this world has to offer, I will have my reward in full here on this earth.

There is nothing eternal about my word-hoarding. It is a Snickers bar to an empty stomach. It'll satisfy for a moment, but it certainly will not fill me permanently. The words that will fill me flow from the very mouth of God, quenching a thirsty soul and satisfying each hunger pang.  This is the manna I should be hoarding, for His words are more than enough for me.

I love that the word of God is alive! I love that I've read this passage one hundred times and never had this truth resound within my soul. God is so good to give us what we need when we are ready to hear it. His word refreshes and satisfies the soul, it is sweet to the taste. Oh these words are true!