Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
It's no coincidence that we use the word 'heart' in two different but similar contexts. Of course, we all have a biological heart. It's sole function is to pump blood around our bodies every moment of the day. It goes without saying that the most common use of the word 'heart' in the Bible is not referring to this. More commonly when we, and the Bible, refer to heart we mean that all encompassing word that attempts to capture the essence of who we are, what makes us tick and where our greatest affections lie. Whether we can adequately define what this heart is, doesn't really matter. We know we have one and we know the sorts of things that fill it!
Proverbs offers us some strong advice "guard your heart". Motorbike riders guard their head with a crash helmet. Soldiers guard their bodies with bullet proof vests. Machine workers guard their fingers with safety guards. But the advice to all is to guard your heart, something we rarely think off. The Bible says that it's this one single thing that determines the course of your life. It's like the rudder of our life. We know this to be true just by looking at our lives or history. Those with a heart for the stage pursue this with great determination. Someone falls in love and changes all their life priorities to be with their new love. Someone's heart is in their career and they 'make it to the top'.
Of course there is no guarantee that what your heart is set on is what you will get. But the proverbs is still true. It will determine the course of your life. Why? Because your heart will determine the choices you make. Jesus said that your heart is where your treasure is. What you hold dearest is where your heart will be. If your child needed a life saving operation that would cost you more than you could afford. Who wouldn't sell their car or even their house to pay for this? Because they are your treasure, your heart. They will dictate your choices.
But the warning would imply two things. One, that our heart can be directed towards the wrong thing. Be on guard. Make sure you allow your heart to be filled with the right things. The other implication is that we are not fully in control of where our heart is direct towards. Be on guard. You can wake up one morning asking yourself how did I end up here?
So we need to watch out. Although in my romantic mind I think the idea of love at first sight is lovely. No-one can really fill our heart until we start to get to know them. The same is true with anything that can fill our heart. We can 'court' the things that fill our heart and slowly let them fill our hearts, good or bad. They then become our treasure, direct our choices and ultimately determine the course of our life. But this isn't a negative thing. If we let Christ fill our hearts this will determine the course of our life. And what a life it will bring. He will become our treasure, the most treasured part of our life.
Some people are very loveable. Spend enough time with them and you wont help but let them fill your heart. Jesus is the ultimate example. The more time you spend with Him the more He fills your heart. Let this happen and the direction for your life will be like no other.
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