Today’s scripture: Matthew 6:21 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (David Zier):
I love cars. I have purchased and/or driven some pretty spiffy cars in my lifetime. The “love” of my life car was my 2004 Phaeton. It was an engineer’s dream car. The ventilation system vents had wood covers that electronically opened and closed, exposing and covering the vents when it was on. The all wheel drive suspension would raise and lower (manually or automatically) depending on the kind of driving and the terrain you were on. There were multiple suspension and transmission settings, depending on what you wanted — smooth cushy ride, sport, or decent gas mileage (note: this last one was a mistake…it was a gas guzzler no matter the setting). Front and back seats were heated and cooled with built in massagers, and the back seats reclined and had wooden trays. The sound system sounded like a home theater, dance hall, and high-end Bose bookshelf speaker set all rolled into one. There were hundreds of buttons in the car that were just fun to look at and figure out. The navigation system had a huge screen with very large buttons. The cigarette lighter doubled as a flashlight. The lighting was all LED before the trend started in other cars. The car was built on the same platform as the Bentley Continental GT. Great Pedigree! Have you ever heard the Queen song “I’m In Love With My Car” from their “A Night at the Opera” album (1970’s)? The song was about my relationship with this car. Here are a few lines of the lyrics:
The machine of a dream,
Such a clean machine
With the pistons a pumpin’
And the hub caps all gleam
When I’m holdin’ your wheel
All I hear is your gear
When my hand’s on your grease gun
Oh it’s like a disease son
I’m in love with my car
Gotta feel for my automobile
Get a grip on my boy racer rollbar
Such a thrill when your radials squeal.
So, where is the heart of the song writer of this song? Where do you think he is putting his money? Where do you think I was putting my money when I had my Phaeton and where do you think my heart was?
Many read today’s passage, and reverse the message. Some say, “Where your heart is, that is where you put your treasure, your money, your resources.” That is certainly how I would think, but I never would have said my heart was in the trunk of my Phaeton either. But when you read the passage again, it says something different.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Instead of a car you could be putting everything you have into your house, a hobby, a bad habit, shopping, etc. The list goes on. It can be anything for each of us. Is your heart at the Mall? In your home? Your cigarettes?
Where do you put your treasure? How do you spend your money, your time, and your resources? Jesus tells us in this passage that your heart goes with it, the opposite of what we may think.
What if our treasures were going where God wants them to go; where would your heart be now? Even if we have issues with how some churches ask for money or we have seen how some televangelists use prosperity as the corner stone of faith if you give to them, Jesus message is multifaceted. It is a prophecy for each one of us, letting us know that our heart can be driven away from God because of where we put our treasure. Our hearts can be moved in different directions because of what it is we invest in. I had my heart in the trunk of my car for a while. Some of us may have our hearts next to the television, sitting in the middle of the financial news, sitting on the bench at the mall, or at the bottom of a pile of stuff, a glass, or a bowl. Where are you putting your treasure?
Practice your G block! One way to do that is to become a regular giver to LifeJourney Church, which helps to fulfill our vision and mission as a church:
- making Disciples (growing our souls),
- doing justice (freeing people from the bondage of religious dogma, Who Stole Jesus and Would Jesus Discriminate, and the work we have done to defeat HJR-6 banning gay marriage), and
- helping those in great need (homeless families here in Indianapolis, helping homeless animals here in Indianapolis, South Sudan girl’s education and empowering women, Guatemala school and home for families, sponsoring native Navajo elders with food and medical supplies, and building homes for the Navajo who need one).
Thought for the day: Have you seen your heart lately? Being more intentional about where we put our resources helps us to redirect our heart,“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Link to the online Soul Care plan — www.soulcare.cc.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.