What Are You Thirsting For?
Jorge: what are your thirsting for?
Bily: hmm?
soy milk!
Jorge: mmm, let me reiterate the questions? what do you desire?
Bily: =p are u asking me seriously or is this leading to a joke =p
Jorge: HAHAHAHA. just wondering how would you respond?
Bily: hmmm. i was going to say to change the world. but then the natural question to follow is how? for the better? in wat way? no poverty no hate no crime no war no violence no abuse etc. really: God’s kingdom on earth. i guess that is the picture of it
Jorge: intense. that’s very hard to achieve. but a very admirable dream
Bily: ya i was thinking thirst for either a) change in the world or b) relationship with God. but ur question made me realize, both my answers are the same. it is natural that in relationship with God we are put in alignment with what He wants. and that is his kingdom
WOW. i just made another realization. “seek ye first His Kingdom”: we might think all the time that means be spiritually minded n think of God! but it ALSO may WELL MEAN – feed the hungry, clothe the poor, care for the widow, defend the oppressed. because those things are the picture of his Kingdom!
Jorge: wow that is intense alignment =) haha, such a good realization
Bily: those things come when ppl all know God and live as He intended to from the start. actually it would not have been necessary if it was so from the start.
Jorge: true said. I have been submerging into the idea of the kingdom by meditating on Matthew
Bily: mmm indeed. wat have u thought about it?
Jorge: I have been meditating on seeking the kingdom and the idea of storing treasures in heaven. I had the idea the storing treasures in heaven seems like a reward system, but I don’t think that’s it seeking the kingdom, as you said, it’s basically surrendering ourselves and be willing to accept God’s sovereignty in our lives. so, our wants is aligned with His will.
that is very general hahah. but one verse I like is Psalm 37:4. ‘delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.’ so, if your desire is aligned with God’s will, then that’s beautiful, as life will be so much fruitful and less stressful (don’t worry). if our eyes are opened to what God sees and sensitive to God’s heart, then we know we ought to serve Him, feed the poor, spread the gospel, etc… storing treasures in heaven is basically the “end goal”, basically as we seek the kingdom and invest in the kingdom, treasures are been stored
Bily: hmmm
Jorge: actually, not exactly the end goal, but a consequence. the end goal is to find the treasures in Christ, and being transformed into His image
Bily: mmm indeed i’m thinking about this:
Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
always struggled a bit, hesitant to think about it as investing in God’s kingdom so that we can enlarge our heavenly treasure. because that seems a selfish thing – we are doing good so we can have a return of greater good. and the passage there talking about how we will have treasures in heaven seems at first to promote that line of thought , which again, seems kind of self-serving. do you know what i mean?
Jorge: yes I do. people can take this in a selfish way. I like verse 21, where your treasure is, your heart is also there. i think that’s key
Bily: mhm. so as i thinka bout it more. v20 does not say: put your heart on God, so that you will get treasure. it says: ‘but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, … for where ur treasure is there your heart will be also”.
the order is important. because this then means to me something very different. lay up: means CONSIDER heavenly things what is VALUABLE, and your heart will then be shaped all the more to follow after heavenly things.
Jorge: if your treasure is in the Kingdom of God, then your heart is for it, and you aren’t doing it for the sake of storing as much treasure as possible, but for the sake of your most precious treasure, which is Christ Himself
Bily: mmm. it is also probably important to consider — the audience –. this metaphor could have been used because he sees ppl chasing earthly treasures and so to use similar language, to help ppl understand the treasure of heaven. not that the metaphor here is used to say technically that we are to consider heavenly/godly things as an investment with reward
Jorge: true true. the entire sermon of the mount is really beast. as it touches the aspect of our heart, intentions, motives, focus. versus the actual doing or work. the order is indeed important, good point bliz
- afternoon, Friday, January 2, 2009 (it’s 2009! can you believe it?)
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm
hey bily, thanks!
January 3rd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
oooo nice insights!! a true intimate relationship with God automatically propels us to do His Will !!
January 3rd, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Yeah jorge was telling me about this ‘intense’ conversation you guys were having. it is good stuff indeed =)