GROWING SEEDS: The Parable of.....THINGS

 

The Parable Of........THINGS

The Parable of....the mustard seed.

The Parable of....the yeast.

The Parable of....the wheat and weeds.

The Parable of....the hidden treasure and the pearl.

The Parable of....the fishing net.

Same story......different examples.....all within 20 simple verses.  I find the critical thing in each of these parables is not what the man gives up, but his reason for doing so.  His REASON for doing so. 

Jesus wanted you to know that when you find Him, all else seems valueless. 

I love my things, which is quite evident when you shop in my attic.  A girl of "Things".  But something interesting has been happening over the past few years.  These beloved things I used to cherish, have become less and less beloved...less cherished.  That's why they seem to be finding their way into our attic and not into my living room anymore.  In reality, they should be finding their way onto the Mt. Vernon Online Garage Sale site or the Tabor trash can out front.  I have discovered that as I let go of my vice-grip on these beloved "things" of this world, my grip on God seems tighter...stronger for some reason. 

See, it's not the removal of these "things" that has brought me closer to God.....it's the reason for doing so.

Oh, I still love a beautiful necklace and a nice dining table.  Yes.  Oh yes.  But now, I'm not invested in those things.  If the house burned down tomorrow....or flooded....I wouldn't cry over them.  I probably wouldn't even miss them.  But if I lost God....if I didn't have this Man who loves me more than all the stars in the sky and asks only that I allow Him to become more important in my life than these "things"....these things that weigh us down and block our view of Him.....well, if I lost Him, I would have no reason to enjoy that beautiful necklace or sit at the dining table.

He IS my beloved.....He IS my hidden treasure.