TREASURING JESUS

“And if we ask how are we to know where our hearts are, the answer is just as simple – everything which hinders us from loving God above all things and acts as a barrier between ourselves and our obedience to Jesus is our treasure, and the place where our heart is.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship.

One of the things we must choose in life is what we will treasure most. No matter how much or little we have, we have a treasure. Something or someone will be more important than anything or anyone else in our lives. Whatever that one thing or one person is – that is your treasure. For believers, our treasure is Jesus.

When we hear the phrase “treasure Jesus,” our minds begin listing everything we need to do to make our hearts treasure Him because “treasure” implies action. Or maybe you hear the phrase “treasure Jesus” and wonder what that even feels like or how you get back to treasuring Him above all else.

To treasure means to “hold or to keep as precious.”  The point is, do we regard Christ as precious? Is He our cornerstone, our all in all? God chose Jesus as the cornerstone to be the foundation of all things. He is the only One who we can trust in. He is the only One we can lean on. As Christians, we have experienced Christ in a way that inspires us to be transformed. We have seen Him in all His beauty. We have fully realized the depths of His mercy and how much He loves us. But do we see Him as precious in a way that reinvigorates our faith and seeks to glorify Him in all we do?

That sounds like we are treading in deep theological waters. But the challenge does not have to be complicated. Find the time to be with Jesus. Refresh your heart and mind to see how precious He is. Whether in prayer, worship, the Word, finding quiet time, or some other way, find time to treasure Him as He treasures you.  If you think about it, our whole life responds to God’s pursuit of us. God is the initiator, and He only really ever asks us to respond to Him. He pursues, and His people respond. God’s people have been responding to Him for hundreds of years, and our goal is to respond to Him by treasuring Him.   

One of the ways to treasure Him is to be a witness to others. Perhaps one of the greatest ways to witness is through treasuring Jesus by reflecting His love. After all, “God is love” (1 John 4:8), so when we show love to others, we show them God.  Jesus taught His disciples, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35).  Displaying genuine love for others makes you an effective witness and that you treasure God.

John Piper said, “Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolish to us—a crucified God—must become our wisdom, power, and only boast in this world.”

Discussion Questions:

1. I want Christ to be the treasure of my life. Is that enough?
2. How is what you treasure reveal about what your heart is pursuing? 
3. What are some practical ways to treasure God?