“Where your heart is, there also will be your treasure.”

Matthew 6:20

Where is my heart?

It is an elusive partner.  It is hard to tell its state at any particular moment because the location of my heart is a moving target.  To be honest, it is pretty fickle. As a result, knowing what my treasure is a picture that’s out of focus.

I do all kinds of stuff to tie it down, to give my heart some regular direction.  But if I get distracted, which is often, and I look to the last place it was, all I usually find is a warm but vacant seat.

I know what I want my “treasure” to be.  I have put a lot of thought and time into a word picture of how I operate when I am using all of gifts, talents, abilities, and experience my creator has graciously supplied to me.  And honestly, it’s a pretty inspiring target for me.  But it’s a tool that seems to have limited effectiveness.

The rub is that Jesus doesn’t say define your treasure and your heart will follow.

*****

My mom told me often as an adolescent to stand up straight; I would walk round-shouldered and a bit slumped over.   She said I looked like I was unsure of myself and, always looking at the ground, afraid to meet anyone eye-to-eye. I hated it when she said that because she was right on both accounts.

When concentrating on standing up straight, putting my shoulders back, chest out and meeting the world eye-to-eye, the weather seems to change.  From hazing and unsettling to clear visibility with the sun more often than not shining through the clouds.  I changed my posture and my view of the world changed.

When I intentionally act and think like I am a part of the kingdom that Jesus described as being possible here and now, I think I change my soul posture and as a direct result, my heart rests secure.

It’s one of those principles that I don’t completely understand but know works.   When I do what is right that doesn’t necessarily feel right, that treasure I so badly want is where it is supposed to be.