An acronym to help you remember what FAITH is goes like this: Fully Assured In The Hope. As followers of Jesus Christ, we live in full assurance of the hope that God will fulfill His promises. We confidently live in the present according to God’s future promises. Our present way of life should be a reflection of the future reality God has promised that we are waiting for.
The way we live our lives today should be a reflection of our belief in the future reality God has promised. Should. But is it?
Jesus taught this little parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matt. 13:44)
Here’s this guy who somehow finds a treasure hidden in a field. When he finds this treasure, he responds in a very unique way. He hides it. Why? So no one else will find it until he has enough money to buy it for himself. This guy goes and sells everything he has to buy that field.
Can you imagine the ridicule he got from his friends and family? He couldn’t tell them about it, or they may have gotten to it first. How many times has someone you know put themselves into great financial jeopardy to make a risky investment? If you know someone, you probably know the feeling this man’s friends had. “What are you doing? Are you sure this is going to work out? Come on, think this through! You have to be out of your mind!”
But this man was undeterred. In his JOY, he went and sold all that he had to buy that field. Joy. He did this out of joy. He sold everything He had in joy. This guy would be seen as a world class moron in our time. Who does that? Who sells everything to buy a field?
The answer: Someone who knows that there is something far more valuable there than here. You make that kind of decision when you realize that what you stand to lose if you don’t make this move is far greater than what you’re gaining in the moment. When you have seen the treasure with your own eyes, you’re willing to give up everything to get it. Because whatever you lost to get it will be replaced tenfold.
This man was fully assured in the hope. He knew what buying this field would do for him and his family. And nothing was going to stop him.
Jesus began this parable and the one after it by saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like…” Is this a true story? Maybe, maybe not. But, the point of the story remains. The kingdom of heaven is like this story. The kingdom of heaven is worth more than anything we can gain on our own.
When I gave the sermon on this passage, I shared that most of the struggle we’re dealing with in the church today is a result of abundance. We live in an incredibly abundant society. Affluence is everywhere. Sure, Christ-followers may be facing adversity for their faith. But adversity isn’t as much of a problem as affluence and abundance. We have too much of everything. Too much technology. Too much trash because we have too much stuff that even second hand stores are overflowing. Too much opportunity. Too much freedom. Too many events. Too many pressures. Too much information. Too much politics. It’s all too much.
Have you ever tried to use bathroom paper-towels to soak up a spill? Have you noticed how non-absorbent they are? You end up just pushing the liquid around instead of soaking it up. Dan Gruver wrote on “The Gospel Coalition” blog that we are “Trying to dry up our profound “sense of exile” with the non-absorbent paper towels of the incomplete joys of this world.” All we’re doing with our abundance is pushing around a problem that can only be absorbed by the Kingdom of Heaven.
JRR Tolkien wrote: “We all long for [Eden], and we are constantly glimpsing it: our whole nature at its best and least corrupted, its gentlest and most humane, is still soaked with the sense of ‘exile’.” All abundance really amounts to is distraction. The more abundance, the greater the opportunity to be distracted from what really matters. That’s true for your walk with God, for your family and anything that really matters.
In my lifetime there has been a lot of talk about “mortgaging our kids future”. One side will use that phrase to talk about the national debt, the other about climate change. What we do as a society is rob from our future so we can have what we want now. I do it. We all do it. We have a mortgage on our house. We want the luxury now with as little sacrifice as possible. All we do is push our problems down the road a little further. The problem is never absorbed because that’s not what that particular type of paper towel was designed to do. Bathroom paper towels were meant to dry your hands and thrown away. They’re designed to be trash. The stuff of abundance is also designed to be trash. It’s pretty much garbage when we buy it.
But, that’s not what the kingdom of heaven is like. We’re supposed to live our lives today with the full assurance that God will keep His promises tomorrow. As Jesus said, each day has enough trouble of it’s own. We’re supposed to live like Jesus is coming tomorrow. Most of us, though, hope He doesn’t. Because we want to fulfill our dreams for our own life before He comes. He can come, just not before we’re done getting what we want.
We can’t build God’s kingdom and our own at the same time. Our kingdom is the stuff non absorbent paper towels are made of. That’s what we’re supposed to joyfully sell so we can get God’s kingdom. The faith-filled follower of Jesus Christ is not obsessed with the pleasures and treasures of this life. The faith-filled follower of Jesus lives their life in full assurance of the hope that Jesus secured for us with his death, burial, resurrection and ascension.
Non-absorbent paper towels is the stuff of landfills. But faith is the stuff the Kingdom is made of.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
I have to express appreciation to you for rescuing me from this particular scenario. Just after browsing through the world wide web and getting concepts which are not powerful, I believed my life was well over. Existing without the solutions to the problems you’ve fixed as a result of your entire short post is a serious case, as well as those which may have badly affected my entire career if I had not come across your blog. That competence and kindness in touching every part was helpful. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had not encountered such a solution like this. I can also at this point look forward to my future. Thanks a lot so much for this reliable and results-oriented help. I won’t hesitate to suggest the blog to anyone who needs to have tips on this subject matter.
I wish to voice my gratitude for your kind-heartedness supporting those who require help on this issue. Your very own dedication to passing the message all around came to be exceedingly practical and has in every case enabled some individuals much like me to realize their goals. Your helpful facts denotes a great deal a person like me and much more to my office workers. Regards; from each one of us.
I’m just writing to make you know what a terrific experience my daughter undergone using the blog. She mastered plenty of issues, which include what it’s like to possess an excellent helping heart to have many more quite simply fully grasp selected advanced subject areas. You undoubtedly did more than our own desires. I appreciate you for offering such warm and friendly, safe, edifying as well as fun tips about this topic to Lizeth.
Thanks a lot for providing individuals with an exceptionally pleasant possiblity to read in detail from this blog. It’s usually very ideal plus full of a good time for me and my office peers to visit your website at the least 3 times in a week to find out the latest guidance you have. And definitely, we are at all times fulfilled concerning the exceptional things you serve. Selected 4 facts in this post are particularly the simplest we have all ever had.
I in addition to my buddies appeared to be checking out the excellent solutions on the website and then all of a sudden came up with a horrible suspicion I had not thanked the website owner for those techniques. These boys ended up absolutely thrilled to read them and have without a doubt been loving those things. Appreciation for turning out to be quite accommodating and also for deciding on this form of tremendous guides millions of individuals are really needing to be aware of. Our honest apologies for not saying thanks to earlier.
I and my friends have been examining the excellent hints from the website and then all of the sudden I had a horrible feeling I never thanked the web site owner for those techniques. The ladies are already certainly happy to read them and already have definitely been enjoying them. Appreciate your indeed being very kind and then for pick out certain really good resources millions of individuals are really wanting to understand about. My sincere apologies for not expressing gratitude to you earlier.
I enjoy you because of your entire effort on this site. My aunt takes pleasure in engaging in investigation and it is simple to grasp why. Most people learn all relating to the compelling mode you render valuable information on the blog and therefore welcome response from other people on this theme then our girl is certainly becoming educated a lot of things. Take advantage of the rest of the year. You are performing a superb job.
Thank you a lot for providing individuals with remarkably special opportunity to read from this website. It can be so useful and also packed with a good time for me and my office co-workers to visit the blog nearly three times in 7 days to learn the latest secrets you will have. And of course, I’m also actually satisfied with your remarkable secrets you give. Certain two areas in this posting are definitely the finest we have all had.
I wanted to post you the little remark to give many thanks as before for your marvelous secrets you’ve provided here. It is quite remarkably open-handed with people like you to provide freely precisely what many of us could possibly have sold as an e-book to earn some dough for their own end, and in particular seeing that you might have tried it if you ever wanted. The strategies in addition served as a easy way to fully grasp other individuals have the identical dreams similar to my very own to find out many more around this condition. I’m certain there are a lot more enjoyable sessions ahead for individuals who read carefully your blog.
I needed to send you a little observation so as to give thanks once again with your precious views you have contributed on this page. It was certainly strangely open-handed with you to offer openly what exactly a lot of folks could possibly have offered for sale for an ebook to end up making some money for their own end, most importantly now that you might well have tried it in the event you wanted. The tactics in addition worked like the easy way to understand that someone else have a similar fervor like my very own to grasp great deal more concerning this condition. I think there are several more pleasant occasions in the future for folks who looked at your site.
I must express thanks to you for rescuing me from this particular dilemma. As a result of surfing through the world wide web and obtaining recommendations which are not beneficial, I figured my entire life was done. Living devoid of the answers to the difficulties you have sorted out as a result of your blog post is a crucial case, and ones that would have in a negative way damaged my entire career if I hadn’t discovered your site. Your personal know-how and kindness in taking care of a lot of stuff was priceless. I am not sure what I would have done if I had not come across such a step like this. I’m able to at this time relish my future. Thanks a lot so much for the professional and result oriented guide. I won’t be reluctant to propose your web site to any person who would like tips on this situation.
I have to show my thanks to the writer just for rescuing me from this type of setting. After searching through the online world and seeing advice which are not pleasant, I believed my life was over. Living devoid of the answers to the problems you’ve fixed all through your good short article is a critical case, as well as the ones that would have negatively affected my entire career if I had not come across the blog. Your primary skills and kindness in maneuvering almost everything was tremendous. I am not sure what I would have done if I hadn’t come across such a stuff like this. I can at this time relish my future. Thanks so much for the professional and amazing guide. I will not think twice to recommend the sites to anybody who requires guidance about this matter.
I simply desired to thank you so much again. I do not know the things I could possibly have gone through without the type of tricks shared by you over that subject. It was the difficult situation in my view, but witnessing a professional technique you dealt with that made me to weep over fulfillment. I’m happier for your support and wish you know what an amazing job that you are doing instructing many others thru your webpage. I know that you haven’t encountered any of us.
Thank you so much for giving everyone an extraordinarily breathtaking possiblity to read critical reviews from this site. It can be so excellent plus jam-packed with a good time for me personally and my office acquaintances to search your website really 3 times in 7 days to study the latest things you have. And definitely, I’m also usually astounded considering the brilliant knowledge you give. Certain 2 tips on this page are unquestionably the most effective we have ever had.
I precisely wished to appreciate you again. I’m not certain the things I would have used in the absence of the tricks shared by you concerning this situation. Previously it was an absolute difficult issue in my view, however , being able to view a expert technique you handled it took me to jump for contentment. Extremely happier for this service and thus hope that you know what a powerful job that you are carrying out instructing many people all through your blog post. Most likely you haven’t come across all of us.
I simply wanted to thank you so much again. I am not sure the things that I could possibly have done without the entire creative concepts discussed by you relating to my field. It became a very frustrating issue for me, nevertheless seeing a specialized tactic you dealt with that took me to weep for happiness. I’m just thankful for the information as well as sincerely hope you are aware of a powerful job you have been putting in training people via your site. Probably you’ve never encountered any of us.
I have to show thanks to you for bailing me out of this particular circumstance. Just after searching through the online world and meeting ways that were not pleasant, I thought my life was over. Being alive without the presence of solutions to the difficulties you’ve fixed through this website is a critical case, and ones that might have badly affected my entire career if I had not discovered your site. Your personal talents and kindness in handling the whole lot was very helpful. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if I hadn’t discovered such a thing like this. I can at this time relish my future. Thanks a lot very much for your skilled and result oriented help. I will not be reluctant to endorse the website to anyone who ought to have care on this topic.
I would like to express my thanks to you for bailing me out of this particular incident. After looking through the internet and coming across solutions which were not helpful, I thought my life was over. Existing without the answers to the issues you’ve solved by means of your good post is a critical case, as well as ones that might have badly affected my career if I had not encountered your blog post. Your own personal capability and kindness in touching every item was precious. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if I had not discovered such a subject like this. It’s possible to at this moment look forward to my future. Thank you so much for your impressive and results-oriented help. I will not be reluctant to endorse your web page to any individual who ought to have direction on this problem.
I just wanted to send a small note to thank you for those lovely suggestions you are posting on this site. My time intensive internet search has at the end been recognized with professional suggestions to go over with my companions. I would suppose that we readers actually are unquestionably fortunate to be in a magnificent community with many perfect people with very helpful things. I feel pretty privileged to have encountered your web page and look forward to plenty of more fun moments reading here. Thanks a lot again for everything.
I in addition to my buddies ended up viewing the great tricks found on your web site then unexpectedly came up with a horrible suspicion I had not expressed respect to the web site owner for those techniques. The women happened to be as a result thrilled to see them and have clearly been tapping into these things. Many thanks for genuinely very helpful and for considering such smart tips millions of individuals are really wanting to be aware of. Our sincere regret for not expressing gratitude to earlier.
I definitely wanted to write down a simple comment to be able to thank you for those marvelous concepts you are showing here. My long internet investigation has now been rewarded with wonderful concept to exchange with my two friends. I ‘d declare that we readers actually are truly blessed to be in a decent community with many special professionals with very helpful principles. I feel truly blessed to have discovered your webpage and look forward to some more amazing minutes reading here. Thanks a lot again for all the details.