Finding that Treasure is Abnormal

After reading Jeff Goins article How to Find Your Life’s Treasure, I had to look at the scripture to which he was referring:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Matthew 13:44.

In just a few words that make only one sentence there is a huge story, possibly spanning many years. It all begins with a find. The scripture says the treasure was hidden in a field. What inspired him to look in that particular field?  But most importantly, for what was this man looking and what motivated or inspired him? Well, I can go even further back:  who hid this treasure and why? And that may be easier to answer than the question about what inspired this man to begin a hunt.

Sometimes a search begins with the realization that something is missing, or there is something better. If you look through history you will find that the explorers and discoverers were people who were unsatisfied with where they were and they were looking for something better. They were the types of people who broke out of the norm, who stepped outside of expectations, and they probably caused others to note and comment on their inability to accept things as they were and their inability to be satisfied with how life was for them. These breakers from compliance had what we call in the Ozarks a “wild hair” that demanded satisfaction greater than the fear of being different. Thank God for them. We rarely hear about the failures along the path to those “overnight successes.”

Once he found that treasure, he had enough wisdom to look beyond the treasure to the source. I’m very confident that this wisdom was birthed from some failures. Many of us might have just grabbed the treasure and took off running with it. What a great find! But how long would it last? This man realized the field was the source and the treasure was a product or symptom of what the field produced. There was more to be had, the source was more vital than the treasure.

He put a plan together. A plan to change his life, and he was thoughtful about it. The process of selling all he had took time, but he was focused on the goal of obtaining the whole field, the source. Selling all you have limits options and it’s risky, but this seems to be the message from God throughout the Bible. You won’t fall back if you don’t have anything to fall back on. Don’t hold back, release it all so He can have all of you.

This man took risk. Think about selling all you have so you can purchase a plot of land. House, cars, furniture, cashing in your IRA—everything you accumulated  goes toward purchasing what appears to be an empty field. Can you imagine how crazy family and friends would think you to be?

The value of having the field of potential resource was more important to this man than all he possessed. He gave it all to be sold-out to the field of total resource. What risk, what a story, what a dream fulfilled! And it all began with a man searching for something more.

I don’t think I’m enough of a risk-taker. Some people might argue that about me, but I wonder if I take enough risk with God. Maybe I haven’t found that treasure or that field yet.  Once I find it, how quick will I be to put a plan in action?

This whole thing begins with searching. And before the search, there’s a self-evaluation of where you are now and where you want to be. It just takes a field to get there, that’s all.