Steal No More

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Lay up treasures where no one can see. Internal treasures. Treasures that are near and dear to your heart. Treasures of time with God that we cherish. Treasures of time reading inspirational words to lift your spirit. Treasures of time of fasting, where we push aside a plate of food and get before the presence of God. Treasures of time of worship, where we shut off all the external world type of music and listen to words that reflect Christ. Treasures of giving, where we take our tithes and offering to bring them into the store house of God. Treasures of giving in ministry, where we help others in need or in aide.

There are so many things that we can do on a daily basis that help us store up more treasures in a place that is noted by God. This is what we can say is sowing to our spirit and not to our flesh as the bible indicates in Galatians 6:8, “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” When we sow to our spirit, it is a strong act for us to be able to stand against the wiles of the wicked one.

The enemy has a plan – we interrupt it!

The enemy is seeking whom he may devour – we move away from that!

The enemy wants to rob us of our belongings – we take it back!

The enemy aims to kill – God protects us so we can live!

The enemy tries to destroy – God comes to build!

Just be cognizant of the schemes of the enemy and understand that he does use PEOPLE too! He loves to get into the minds of people and cause confusion, disruption and chaos. He got into the mind of Eve and convinced her to eat the fruit [Genesis 3]. He is extremely crafty. The bible tells us that he was the MOST crafty among his kind. You must know who your enemy is–its not the people–it is the schemes of the devil that are corrupting the people! So we must be sharp and we must be vigilant [1 Peter 5:8]. We must be on guard and keep ourselves filled with the power and presence of God.

Don’t let little day to day things destroy you either. Chaos in the world is everywhere–but we bring the sunshine in the midst of stormy days! We are that light for the world [Matthew 5:14]. So when the storms of life come–don’t let it dull your sparkle or steal your sunshine. You know what to do!

RETREAT!
KEEP CALM!
KEEP THE FAITH!

When all else seems impossible to calm, believe me that it will. If someone walked out on you–let them go, it’s not worth you losing your mind. They are having a party, moving on…now you must. If your kids are acting up–reprimand those little ones and bring the balance that you need. Get a sitter–take a nappy! RETREAT! There is always a way. If you come into conflict or argument with your loved one, keep the peace. It is not worth spending so much time and effort getting yourself frustrated. Sometimes we need to agree to disagree and just walk in love and acceptance! If your boss is driving you crazy at work – let them know! Have that little talk…you have rights at the workplace, so don’t let anyone take advantage of you or drown out your voice. We can no longer allow the hurtful words of others, painful situations or irrational people to take us off balance.

You deserve to be respected.

You deserve to be cherished.

You deserve to be valued.

You deserve to be honored.

You deserve to be heard.

Most importantly, you deserve to keep your joy and your peace. So when the clouds appear–don’t let it steal your sunshine! There is a way for you to keep that light in you shining!