Happiness and Satisfaction, Yours to Claim
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
-Jesus of Nazareth
-Jesus of Nazareth
Lights! Camera! Action! You pop out of your mom in the hospital. A ton of relatives surrounded you happy that you came into this world. Little do they know what’s awaiting you ahead.
The time goes by. Pacifiers, toys, tricycles, crayons, cartoons, books, desks, recesses, high school dramas, cars, addiction problems, scholarships, dorms, job interviews, long hours in the office, marriage, house, kids, retirement and …the fat lady sings.
You just want to be happy! The school you choose, the clothes you buy, the friends you pick, the things you do for fun – it’s all an effort to make your life more enjoyable.
You strive for satisfaction jumping from one thing to another, from one set of friends to another, from one hobby to the next one, from one relationship (read: boyfriend) to another hoping, just hoping, that this new thing will feel better. In junior high you dream of high school, then of college, then of a job, a family and on and on. But then, you’re just bored, bored with life.
Smart dude Ecclesiastes said: “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.” It’s all like running after the wind that you will never catch. Don’t even bother.
It blows my mind to see that the kingdom of heaven is like nothing else that I will ever see. This is exactly what I’m looking for! I want something so precious, so beautiful, so satisfying, so ecstatic and so weighty that if only I could get that I will never want anything else.
The man in Jesus’ parable sold everything: his condo, his Lexus, his business and, maybe, even his kidneys to buy that field so that he would get the treasure. The treasure! How bleak did all that he had look to him when he had found it. How miserable his life seemed to him when he was dreaming of it. The treasure consumed all of his thoughts and feelings. It was more than what he had ever wanted!
This is what the kingdom of heaven is like! Once you find it it’s all you ever want. You go to sleep thinking about it and wake up thirsting for it. You will never trade it for anything else. Why would you? It’s more precious and satisfying than everything you’ve ever seen and, quite frankly, you’ve seen a lot. It is worth more to you than even your life itself because you can’t even imagine your life without it. Welcome to the kingdom of heaven.
In Christ,
Michael
