For years I lived a life that wasn’t very healthy.
I’m not talking about bad food and little exercise. I mean, sure, there is that, but that’s not where I’m going with this.
What I am talking about is that I was leading a life that wasn’t very conducive to maintaining a healthy soul.
Although, we can use as a comparison, consuming unhealthy food and drink. When we tend to over-indulge in too much red meat, too much sugar, or too much alcohol, the negative side effects creep up on us, and soon enough, start to take their toll.
Likewise, other things we put into our minds and into our hearts also tend to take their toll on our interior.
Treasure that isn’t perhaps real treasure.
We Become What We Consume
We basically become what we consume on a daily basis.
Just how we tend to become unhealthy, if we eat too much unhealthy food, this is also true in regards to the shows we watch, the books we read, the music we listen to, and the Internet we often spend countless hours on. Our supposed treasure.
Each of these things, often without our direct knowledge, will begin to shape our minds and our hearts.
And this is very important.
Perhaps just as we often in life make a decision to eat healthier, or go for a walk more often, perhaps we should also take a time out to determine if what we’re feeding ourselves on a daily basis, the non-food type of consuming, is what is best for us.
Is playing video games for a couple hours each day serving us well?
Is spending over an hour each day reading status updates on Facebook helping us to be a better person?
Is watching and reading the mainstream news creating negativity in our lives without our permission?
Is caring about which celebrity is dating which other celebrity doing anything to improve our lives?
I can’t answer those questions for you, but I can speak from my personal experience.
About 12 years ago when I moved into my current home, because I spent so much time in front of the television in my previous apartment, I decided for my new life – no television. After a couple of months without it, a surprised friend of mine asked me if I missed watching TV.
The answer was no.
Treasures Realized
I realized my life had drastically improved without it. Instead of staring at a box all morning and evening, watching shows that had no positive impact on my life, I was actually doing things that did have a positive impact.
I was reading more. I was spending time with friends and family. I was outside planting a garden. I was learning more about my faith.
I was living.
And broadcast television has never made an appearance back into my home since.
I also unsubscribed to many of the magazines I was receiving, especially those filled with news (world and entertainment), and those that promoted superficiality.
I stopped caring about trends – what other people thought was important, and started caring about what was good for me.
I developed a “less-is-more” way of thinking (except for my garden perhaps!).
And with all these time-consuming things now removed from my life, I have attempted to give more time to things that matter, especially my relationship with God.
Now, with that said, that doesn’t mean I have given my heart perfectly over to things that truly matter.
I’m still a work in progress.
I fully admit I allow too much social media into my life.
And I’m not exactly sure why. Unless finding out what burger my friend had for lunch (and snapped a picture of it too) is somehow beneficial to my life.
And I am working on this. I’m purposely spending far less time on Facebook and Instagram. I’m rarely on Twitter anymore, and I’m about 90% ready to shut down my Twitter account entirely. And as for all the other social this-or-that apps out there, I have made a promise to myself to never start using them.
But everyone is different.
Some people may not even use social media, or are great at limiting themselves to only perusing social sites for a few minutes a day.
An Honest Assessment of our Treasure
Each person must ask themselves, what am I giving my time to? My heart to? My soul to?
And the most important part of this evaluation – you have to be honest with yourself.
As human beings, we were created to worship. Everyone has chosen his own path. Those who choose to worship God give their hearts to Him and let everything else take a second, third, etc. place. Those who choose not to worship God will worship something – always. It could be their car, sports, a person, a pet – the list goes on.
Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart.
What are you giving your heart to?
Where is your treasure?
If you immediately start to defend the time you spend on certain aspects of your life, the exercise is futile. Just as I was initially defensive when I was asked if I watched too much television, or read too many entertainment magazines.
You must go deep into your heart for the answer.
And by doing this, you can bring about positive changes into your life that you never imagined, or even thought possible.
Always choose carefully what you surround yourself with.
The changes you make might just change your life.
