The tax collector recorded a jewel. Matthew 6:19-21 highlights a motivation for living a life of simplicity. Our Father highly recommends that we invest in eternal treasures. The treasure of time spent with Him, trusting Him, thanking Him and talking with Him. God points out that our heart follows our passions.  When we choose to VALUE our relationship with Him, over the stuff the world offers, we are guaranteed to find peace and enduring contentment.

The simple life is a conscious decision to remove the excess. When we clean out our collections of things, our eyes are no longer distracted. We then find the true treasure.  We discover the essential value of what God has aleady given us. We gain clarity about what matters most to God. Our personal attention turns toward the Creator of all worth having. We stare in amazement at the beauty in front of us.  He gives us freedom to move and live and enjoy His sufficiency. God is enough, especially when we depend on less for our satisfaction.  Our Father tells us that whatever we posses on earth will pass away, but what He stores up within our safety deposit box in heaven never does. He treasures up our acts of kindness, our helping hands, our generosity of forgiveness towards others, the grace and mercies we distribute. All these treasures cannot be stolen. Our good, generous Father has provided for all we need. 

When we look back to count the cost of our sacrifices, we are reminded of what it cost Jesus to give us new life.  The selfish desire for more stuff keeps us bound to the things that we collect. Let us collect more tears of joy for what God has already provided. ❤️ A loving relationship with Him and others  cannot be bought or packaged.   1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Love never fades, it grows.

Moving out stuff makes room for the thrill of what is most amazing! “I have learned that if you must leave a place that you have lived in and loved and where all your yesteryears are buried deep, leave it in any way — except a slow way! Leave it the fastest way you can. Never turn back and never believe that an hour you remember is a better hour — because it is dead. Passed years are gone, vanquished, while the future lives in a cloud, shapeless, inspiring formidable possibility. The cloud clears as you enter, make of it what you will. I have learned this, but like everyone, I learned it late.” ~ Anonymous foot soldier who delayed in keeping wisdom in life.

Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” Ecclesiastes 7:12 “Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.” Money cannot preserve life, whereas the knowledge of God can.