I have always been attracted to shiny things. I used to joke about it and say I was part crow.
As I have gotten older, I still find I have a weakness for things that are shiny, but now I find that if I bring them home, they often don’t feel right anymore. They aren’t ‘me’.
David wrote about people who have their “portion’ or reward in this life”… meaning, in my understanding, people who spend all their energy and time pursuing things they can see – things that they hope will make them happy here, in this life. (Psalms 17:14)
Shiny things. Things that catch your eye and your attention.
Possibly because they don’t believe there is anything after this life.
The ‘eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die’ philosophy.
It’s a common belief, but that doesn’t mean it’s true.
And what if it’s wrong?
Then you find yourself in the same position as people who live their whole lives and then want to retire but haven’t saved any money. They find themselves in great difficulty trying to live on a government pension.
And the consequences are exponentially more dire if we are talking about an eternity which starts AFTER you die and which you haven’t planned for.
But just because I didn’t plan for it doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
Jesus talked about storing up for yourself riches in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them and robbers can’t break in and steal … (and stock markets don’t fluctuate wildly!) Matthew 6:20
And then He adds, in His very direct way, “Your heart will always be where your riches are.” Matthew 6:21 GNT.
We could also say, that your heart will always be with what you value.
In verse 24 of the same chapter, He continues, “You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other….”
He is referring to money in this verse, but the concept applies to anything we value.
David struggled, as I do, with valuing what he saw (shiny things) vs what he didn’t.
He says, “But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping … for I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness … until I went to Your temple. Then I understood what will happen to the wicked.” (Psalms 73:2-3,17)
David, however, finds that the key to directing his heart is to direct his thoughts.
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Psalms 17:15
(Will see, shall be – the word choices imply he is choosing to direct his thoughts and values)
And there is the secret to true happiness and the exposure of the lie that happiness can be achieved by what you own.
True happiness or satisfaction, David says, is to “awaken in Your likeness.” It is found in the journey to know and become like Jesus – because that journey changes us from the inside out.
All the self-help books, all the affirmations, all the meditation can’t effect a permanent change.
They are all attempts to change oneself from the outside in.
True change and happiness the Bible tells us, come from the inside out.
Paul picks up this thought and says, “.. we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ…” (Ephesians 4:18) NLT
Ultimately, the goal is that “… the Spirit, transforms us into His likeness …” (2 Corinthians 3:18b GNT).
Can you imagine waking up one day to realize you have grown in your character and understanding so far from where you started that you are indeed beginning to resemble your heavenly Father?
There is an old hymn called, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.
The chorus sums this up beautifully,
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
in the light of His glory and grace.
And then all the shiny things don’t look quite as appealing anymore.
This is a beautiful cover of Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, by Hillsong Worship
