What’s truly necessary

The kingdom-of-me is like the man, Tom, who decided to clean up his office of all the clutter.  He filed papers that needed filing and recycled others.  He discarded old and unnecessary files – about half his filing cabinet was recycled.  He discarded books and three ring binders that he did not need.  Old pictures were replaced with new.  Half of the content of his desk drawers was discarded.  Basically if he had not used it in a year, he got rid of it.  The place was shaping up.

A necessary treasure?

Then he came upon his father’s treasure chest filled with some gold and jewels from his father’s younger days, and given to him.  What to do?  He had not opened the chest in two years.  He had not found it necessary to use any of the jewels or gold in five years – life had been good.  Well, he figured, his guiding rule had been “if you haven’t used it in a year throw it out.”  His dad would have been appalled, but into the trash bin went the treasure chest and all that it contained.

In the kingdom-of-me we have been given a great treasure by God our Father, but many have thrown it out in favor of treasuring electronics, sports equipment, business papers, furniture, and buildings.  Some have thrown out the treasure because they do not see a need for that gold and those jewels given them by God.  Others discard God’s gifts because they convince themselves that those gifts are old and not up to date and not immediately necessary.

The gospel is truly necessary

What God has given – Jesus, the gospel, forgiveness, eternity, peace, joy, love, the Bible, and all which his treasure contains is worth keeping.  But don’t keep it in a nice looking chest sitting on a self.  Open that treasure.  Use that treasure.

Source: Growing in Jesus