Treasures

I once heard a motivational speaker give an illustration. It’s been at least twenty years ago and I regrettably cannot remember her name.

The gist of the illustration was that she missed an appointment to interview a hugely successful businessman. A variety of interferences delay her and she knew he would not wait past the appointed time. “I’ll be fired,” she thought. Then she thought about what would be worse than being fired. As she drove up, the limousine was pulling away. She called out, “My family is fine!”

What is the worst thing that can happen to you?

Being fired is not it. People are let go every day – many more over the last few months than have been in many years. Yet they continue day by day to work to improve their situation.

Loss of a spouse isn’t either. It is painful, whether through death or divorce, to have part of one’s life ripped irreparably away. There is no recovery from such, only a moving forward. Some cannot, others find completeness while building a new relationship, a different future.

Loss of a child, as painful as that is, is not it. No, I have not experienced that – but I know people who have. They miss that child for the rest of their lives, but they continue forward. Often the loss of a child breaks a marriage into pieces. Yet, even then, the ex-spouses move on with their lives, often building new marriages, new families.

All of the above are treasures we have here. And they hold our hearts.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:21 KJV)

Yes, our greatest treasure is in Jesus Christ. Why not give Him our lives, our spouses, our children, laying these treasures up with Him in heaven?

Doing so allows us, as women, to be in compliance with God’s plan, submissive to our husbands:

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. (Ephesians 5:22-23 KJV)

This allows our husbands to treat us as Christ treats His church. They will hear Him as He tells them:

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (Ephesians 5:25 KJV)

This is laid out for us all.

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. (Ephesians 5:33 KJV)

Then, the children.

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. (Colossians 3:20-21 KJV)

Place them in God’s hand, knowing that He is able.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25 KJV)

(King Tut's treasures - source not cited)