Eternal Treasures

Imagine yourself winning a large lottery prize...but the winnings come with a few rules.

One rule is you cannot tell anyone you won.

Another rule is you cannot spend large amounts of money, showing evidence that you are now very wealthy.

You can't move into a luxurious home, nor buy your dream car / boat / plane / etc..

You can't start dressing like royalty nor hanging all kinds of jewelry from your body.

In other words; you are restricted from losing yourself in this new wealth, or allowing the wealth to 'change' you.

Instead, you are required to be frugal, disciplined and wise with your spending...as if your finances were dismal or similar as before.

Although you are now rich beyond your wildest dreams, you must continue to live your life as if you had not won the prize.

There is, however, no limit on the amount of joy you can express, so long as you don't reveal your financial standing to another person.

Your conversations would eventually lose the financial worry and stress that you may previously had.

Replacing the typical lamentations of “oh these bills are overwhelming” or “I wish I made more money” would be phrases like “I wonder what a good investment looks like” and “how can I help someone where they'll learn to be more disciplined with their monies?”.

As for the notion of peace of mind that comes along with not having to worry about your bills ever again, how will you be able to contain yourself?

Will all worry about life now disappear?

No.

Despite what some may opine, health cannot be purchased...aside from buying more expensive healthier food, some argue that their wealth can buy them longer life, newer body parts or better health.

Can complete peace of mind be purchased?

Some do try using their wealth.

What about love?

Can your wealth now purchase love for yourself?

People do confuse wealth with security, maybe because since the economic worry is covered, every other issue in life seems feasible or tolerable.

Is this true?

Does having the bills covered bring full security?

Insurance is purchased to cover accidents, theft and other unforeseen events...to lessen financial insecurity.

Have you ever noticed an insecure person who was wealthy?

Have you ever noticed a wealthy ignorant person?

How about a very wealthy person single and unable to find a likable partner, or someone who could tolerate them?

Wealth buys lots of insurance.

Can insurance replace life?

Does insurance repair a broken heart, a fractured mind or a lost friendship?

Has wealth ever mended a broken relationship between relatives or friends?

Some may say the inclusion of wealth has 'helped' them, but does the pain of disappointment evaporate because of wealth's ingredient?

Perhaps a mild and temporary pacifier wealth can be, helping put aside a grievance.

If we are honest with ourselves, we know the honest answers.

Wealth is not evil, it is simply a tool that can be used for good, or for evil; for selfish reasons or selfless efforts.

It is the shadow that may come over one's heart when wealth is introduced that causes trouble.

It is written “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil”.

What do you love?

What is at the root of your life's tree?

Replace “money” with “God” and “evil” with “goodness”.

It can be agreed that “the love of God is a root of all kinds of goodness”.

Some have equated the peace of mind and the comfort of heart to be similar to the understanding of salvation.

Some believe they will never truly know if they are indeed saved until after they die.

This may be true for them, for much of our life's expectations are dependent on what we hold in our hearts and minds to be true.

Others believe they know through and through they are saved even now while still living in the body of sin.

I am of the latter persuasion, although when I've had bouts with doubt.

I would go back and forth between the latter and prior notions daily, or periodically, like during a time of trial or drought....awaiting refreshing rains and a new harvest.

I was being swayed back and forth like a tiny boat tossed by the waves of the sea.

The sea will not stop moving, the wind will not stop blowing, and the waves will not stop rolling.

So how does one set proper sail to navigate the constant motion of the ocean and the ever-changing winds?

Set your heart and mind on things Above.

When I realized Salvation, it was after having been gifted it.

It was like I won the largest lotto jackpot ever known.

And the joy continues to exponentially grow, the more I ponder what He has done for me.

It is keeping focus on such realities from Above, not being distracted or confused by the madness in the world, that assists in this growth.

The wealth jackpot was not realized in monetary form, although there has been a taste of that, but in eternal gratitude deep in my heart...that money can never reach, nor change for the better.

It was, and still is, only in my heart that this wealth, fortune and treasure is fully realized.

My heart is encapsulated by my soul; that part of me fashioned from Above that preceded the fleshly heart.

And that soul, being crafted by Eternal Hands, is filled with the Eternal Spirit from Above.

It is this reality that has comforted my fleshly heart where I can bask in the wealth of heaven while still traversing this earth.

But just as the rules of winning that worldly lotto exemplify, we shouldn't go around dressed like the 'religiously' pompous, or act like 'Pharisees' towards others, nor should we boast the wisdom granted by His mind to ours, neither should we treat others as if they are worth less than we are worth in His eyes.

We instead follow the Example from Above: the Christ.

Christ is King, yet acted like a servant to everyone He encountered.

Christ is Lord, yet humbly loved sinners and kissed others with gracious words.

Christ is Holy, yet sat and ate with the outcasts; those considered wretched and lost by the religious.

Christ is God in the flesh, and left His heavenly abode in order to reach His right hand down to help us up.

Christ is Perfect, yet chose to put on the semblance of imperfection; our related flesh.

Christ is the I Am, yet chose to be born as a human and experienced over 30 years of life, proving able to relate to us, so we may understand and eventually relate to Him...and allowed Himself to be killed, experience death, and traversed hidden dark paths so we would not have to...for we would be unable.

Christ is the love God has always had, has always proclaimed, and still reveals the world-over.

Christ desires to build a chest full of fortune within you, and the 'rules' are that you cannot reflect the false wealth of this world (attitude, ingratitude, pride and boasting), but must exemplify His perfect Example of love, grace and peace.