Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 1:3)
When I read this, why do all of these “spiritual blessings in the heavenly places” seem so unreal? Is it because they are so distant and beyond my experience? Or is it because I am so focused on the things of this world that my mind can only think of the mundane? In my life it’s the life-long issue of acquiring stuff. Not expensive stuff. Not fancy stuff. Just stuff. Tools. Books. Photographs. Computer gear and Software. Fun gadgets. Stuff. Not evil things. Just things. In the moment they see so important, but they cloud and clog my mind so that I can’t see how empty they really are. And they blind me to the real and magnificent things God has waiting for me.
It reminds me of an experience I had years ago. My family and I were coming back to America after being missionaries in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) for three years. While we waited for our flight in the Salisbury airport I stepped into a gift shop and bought my seven-year old daughter a hand-crafted, African copper bracelet as a keepsake. It was a little pricey to give to a child, but it was for a special occasion.On our way back to the States, we stopped in Israel and on Sunday we attended a small church in Nazareth. After the service, my two daughters played with some of the local kids as we chatted with the adults. Then we hopped into our rental car and drove off. After a few minutes, in a proud and excited voice, my daughter said “Look what one of the little girls gave me, Dad!” It was a cheap little plastic ring like you might get from a gumball machine. I was underwhelmed. But then she added, “My new friend gave me this ring, and I gave her my copper bracelet!” I worked hard at not spouting out my frustration and disappointment.
Zoom ahead with me to the present. My daughter’s first grandson was born two months ago and she is beside herself with tender love for that little boy. Because she is such a sentimental person that I’m certain that if she still had that copper bracelet one day she would have said to him with tears in her eyes: “See this bracelet, Elijah? My daddy bought that for me when I was a little girl on the very day that we left Rhodesia to move back to America.”
All those years ago she unwittingly traded away something very special for a mere trinket. Now, you may be thinking, “She was just a little girl. She didn’t know how much sentimental value that piece of jewelry would have had. She didn’t understand the significance of the transaction, and maybe you should have explained its importance beforehand.” And that’s right. I should have forewarned her.
But in our case Jesus sees what’s coming and he does forewarn us. He knows that, left to ourselves, we will foolishly surrender the unfathomable treasures that He has in store for us, in exchange for the worthless trinkets of this world:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21)
The apostle Paul adds:
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Treasures or Trinkets Hmmm.