Would You Rather

Sunday’s sermon kicked off with a fun game of “Would You Rather” with our kids!  Would you rather:

• go to school or go to the beach?  (They all picked school!!!!)

• play on the playground or play video games? (Playground was the clear winner.)

• go to the beach or get a new toy? (More of a tie here.)

• get $20 to buy whatever you want or give your best friend $20 to buy whatever they want? (They absolutely wanted it for themselves - gotta love the honesty.)

As adults, in a lot of ways our whole lives are games of “Would You Rather.” Decision after decision to make, and at some level, they’re all about what we think will make us happy or whole. The problem?  Happiness science and ancient wisdom agree, we’re not very good at knowing what will make us truly happy.  We “miswant,” to use the scientific term.

Consider these words of Jesus:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matt. 6:19-21

This teaching actually operates at a few different levels.

When you read this passage in the context of all of Matt. 6, Jesus is actually talking about how we think getting approval from other people (things like, wow, you pray such fancy prayers - wow, you give so much money to the poor - holier than thou things) will make us happy. Maybe you resonate with that on some level, wanting other people’s approval, for them to see you as “good,” however you’re defining goodness.

When you read it without that context (and that’s how it’s read in most churches, to be honest), Jesus seems to be talking about how we think “treasure” will make us happy, whatever a treasure on earth looks like to us - clothes or electronics, a big home or fat bank account.  Here the scientific term is “awesome stuff.” :)

We’ll get into that second level of interpretation more tomorrow… for today, what if you talk with Jesus a little about the kind of “miswanting” that’s about how you want other people to see you.  Do you see that at work in your life? How is it working out for you?  What might happen if you felt freedom to shift a little more energy to the truth of what’s happening inside you instead - to developing your inner riches?