Buried Treasure and the Incomparable Gains of Following Jesus
Sometimes when unbelievers hear about the hallmarks of the Christian life, they dwell on what they believe they must sacrifice. But beneath the surface of that simplistic assessment of what might be forfeited lies a singularly beautiful truth. What truth might that be, you might wonder? Well, it’s…buried treasure and the incomparable gains of following Jesus.
Follow The Leader
The concept of following is quite elementary. As children, we are all taught the game of Follow the Leader. The idea is for the young or non-indoctrinated to follow someone who knows what they are doing or where they are going. Following means simply falling in line behind that leader and going wherever they go. A few days ago, I embarked on a plane trip with my husband. He is always my trip leader since I am not as detail-oriented as he is. When we move through the airport, I always let him lead and make sure to stay close to him when we board the trams and the plane. I make sure no one comes between the two of us.
The same should be true of our journey with God. We ought to take great care that nothing comes between our close walk with Him. It might be an easy thing to say. But making sure that happens is another matter entirely. It won’t happen accidentally. We are told in Hebrews 4:8 to “draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts…”
Part of close following is making sure you are taking your cues from your spiritual leader, not an imposter shepherd. In John 10:27 we are reminded by Jesus that “my sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me.” We do well to pray to discern God’s voice at every turn. When an opposing or differing voice postures for our attention, we can pray for wisdom to tune it out and stay close to our Good Shepherd, the only leader truly worth following.
The Thrill of Buried Treasure
I referred earlier to the benefits of closely following God as a buried treasure because they are not always readily apparent, especially to outsiders of the Christian faith. I occasionally think the secular world makes far too much of the obligatory components of Christian living.
Yet I understand why.
To be sure, we need to obey God’s laws. But if you don’t yet love God, and have yet to make the decision to give your heart to Him, you don’t yet revere His word or His commandments from a deep and authentic place. So you have no inherent desire to lean into His wisdom and internalize His teachings. From the outside, relationship with God appears more obligatory than it does deeply satisfying.
But the true Christ-follower wants to please God. We read in Psalm 1 that “…his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. And that meditation brings about a bounty of blessing. To one who loves God, “he is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” That level of worship and obedience comes from a position of delight, not obligation. And the promise from Psalm 1 contains a vision of the blessing of one abundant yield, truly an overflowing cachet of buried treasure!
There is another somewhat stealth benefit to following Christ. It involves a freedom in the law that Paul talks about in Romans 7:6. He speaks of being released “from the law.” We are free to live a new life without condemnation from the law that held us bound. When we repent of wrongdoing, we are released from the bondage of judgment through sanctification. This continual process, which occurs every time we repent and receive absolution, enables us to experience a liberty that people who remain out of fellowship with Christ cannot experience.
The Flip Side
Of course, a close walk with Christ is hardly a walk in the park, either. Without a doubt, there is a cost to following Christ. Indeed, Christians don’t do themselves any favors by trying to sweep it under the rug. We must view it with balance. Jesus was very clear about that in Matthew 16:24. He said anyone who follows Him must “deny himself, take up his cross and follow (Him.)” We learn in that same chapter that it was suggested to one interested bystander that he sell everything he possessed and give it to the poor. Some people read this and think if they can’t do the same, they aren’t following God. But God does not call everyone to make the same sacrifices.
The Christian walk is personal.
God’s relationship with us is equally personal.
Our crosses look different.
And our sacrifices will vary, too. One person may devote their life to mission work overseas. Another may actually hear God calling them to give away large sums of money or property. Whatever God calls us to sacrifice, it won’t be a one size fits all proposition.
The Promises For Those Who Follow
Whether your sacrifice is that of time, money, leisure pursuits, popularity, ungodly associations, or one of saying no to something that doesn’t line up with God’s best for your life, each follower pays a cost. But the temporal and eternal rewards of selfless sacrifice will far outweigh any outlay this side of eternity. Even when we count the cost of that sacrificing within the confines of our earthly lives, we are blessed by knowing that we don’t have to wait for eternity to enjoy the benefits of following God right now.
Perhaps the greatest clarity the Christian receives when they choose to follow is navigation lights for daily living. I’ve been learning how important navigation lights are as a new boat owner. It’s very hard to move forward with confidence when we can’t see what lies ahead of us. When I first began driving my new boat, I tried to rely on a front spotlight to illuminate the water at night. But it wasn’t enough. I needed the navigation lights at the base of the boat to further illuminate my course. Though I was unable to see the light source itself from the captain’s chair, I knew I could rely on them to light the way.
Jesus lights our way, too. He promises in John 8:12 that whoever follows Him “will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Jesus is our Divine Navigator and we can trust Him to light our course today and on into our tomorrows. Being mindful of His divine leadership helps us stay focused on unearthing buried treasure and the incomparable gains of following Jesus.
Cindy‘s final installment in the three devotion trilogy is now available on Amazon in Kindle or paperback format!
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