“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
1 Timothy 6:19 (NIV)
A few years ago I lost a dear friend of fifty years. We used to spend holidays together and she was like an aunt to my children. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and passed away within a few months. Her husband died of a heart attack three weeks before her, and they were childless.
I met with her niece and nephew who came in from California, so that the three of us could clear out their home.
We worked hard together to sort through their belongings, and at the end of their visit, I had them over to my house for dinner, as we shared memories of my friend and her husband. They left me with some boxes of home decor items, to either keep or give away.
After keeping a set of wine glasses, I put photos of all the items on my neighborhood website, to give away for free. The last free item to be picked up, was a picture frame made of carved wood. A very kind woman who picked it up, cherished the unique frame, telling me that she planned to use it to display a photo of her great grandfather.
Then she said something which I’ll never forget,
“We are all caretakers of our treasures for a little while, until they are passed on to other loving hands.”
I knew my friend would have been pleased that such a thoughtful person was the new owner of her picture frame, and especially in the use she intended for it. The last item was now in good hands, and yet her wise words remained with me, stirring my thoughts.
I thought about the “treasures” we have in this life. Jesus touched on the topic of treasures, telling us not to store up the kind which can be packed in boxes, destroyed or stolen, but to store up the treasures that will last for eternity.
In today’s scripture, Paul wrote to Timothy, encouraging us to be rich in good deeds, by sharing and giving to others, reminding us of the age to come, and how we are to use this life to build the foundation for the next.
In meditating on the advice of Paul to Timothy, and that lady’s wise words, I am reminded that we are all caretakers, not owners. God is the owner of everything we have been given, and it’s up to us to turn each treasure into an everlasting one. The treasures we are given were meant to be shared, whether it’s through monetary giving, serving others by using our talents, being someone’s listening ear, sharing our faith or praying for others. From the smallest act of kindness to the greatest test of showing mercy by forgiving those who hurt us, it all counts toward eternity.
We are all amazingly interconnected, more than we realize. One day, the Lord will reveal how something we once said, or a kind deed we once did, bore fruit for eternity. He will introduce us to the souls of people in heaven, who benefited from those eternal treasures that we once shared with them. It will be a day to rejoice and be thankful that we sought to share our treasures, which in the end, are passed into the loving hands of Jesus.
Lord, help us be good caretakers of our treasures, and keep our priorities focused on eternal rewards, so we won’t be distracted by the transitory rewards and stressors in this life.
Amen
