Pastor John D Jakes

Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” I have always used this verse as a test. I look at what my heart yearns for, and I discover what my treasure is. What if it can also be used as a challenge? Move your heart and your treasure will follow!

What do I mean? I mean that although it is true that our hearts follow what we treasure, it is also true that we can train our hearts to treasure new things. We aren’t locked in. In fact, we are encouraged to train our hearts to walk down new paths.

Paul says – If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

Paul encourages us to set our minds on things above. This means that we are to keep practicing thinking about Jesus, thinking like Jesus, using the standards of Heaven and faith in our thinking, etc. In other words, train ourselves to chase after Jesus by training our minds and hearts to think based upon Him and His truth. Why do we do this? We do this, according to Colossians 3, because Jesus is our life.

Paul acknowledges here that sometimes there is a gap between receiving Christ as our Savior and truly making Him the treasure that our hearts chase after. His solution – set (train through practice) your mind on things above. The reason – our life is hidden with Christ (we are depending upon Him for our forever).

We live in a world that treats people as if they have no choice to change. Sure, motivational speakers sell books and have seminars on changing, but take a look at how we respond to people who say they are trying to change. The world is severely skeptical that anyone can ever really change, isn’t it? Instead of encouraging growth and change, the world gives little room for such change. In fact, it mocks such attempts to change. Sometimes, this skepticism seems to seep into the thinking of God’s people. How hopeless! That is not the experience or the expectation of believers in the Bible. They expected to be different. They expected to change. I want to learn how to have that kind of change. I want my treasure to be Jesus. Paul paves the way – train my mind and heart to think on things above. As I do, what I treasure will change. I will change with it!

Something to think about,

Pastor John