Buried Treasure

Season 2, episode 7 of the television series Unforgettable featured a man searching for treasure in the underground tunnels of modern day New York city. His endgame was to create an explosion where he believed the treasure was buried, so he could unearth it. He was nabbed by police before he could create the explosion and claim his treasure. Not only that, but no explosion was actually needed to unearth the treasure. While he came very close to finding the treasure, what he did not realize is that the treasure was right under his nose; so to speak. The treasure he was searching for, formed part of a mural that was painted in the ceiling above his head. Hundreds of gold coins were disguised as part of the mural.

Like our television character, you have treasure buried right under your nose, you just don’t recognize it is there. By now I am sure you know where I am going with this. You have treasure within you. Yes, you most certainly do! It is easy to become busy searching for treasure everywhere else instead of where it is really buried, right there within us. Sometimes we think our treasure can be found in our jobs, our friends, our status or the things we own; but it is not.

In some cases, we have other people convincing us that we are worthless and that we have no treasure within us; but they are wrong. You are valuable and you have buried treasure. It is there! All that is left to do, is for you to unearth it, and when you do, don’t squander it, but spend it wisely. Don’t unearth your treasure only to bury it again. No! Use it up, use it all up.

What Treasure?

What is this treasure you ask? That treasure is you! The sum total of who you are. Your personal attributes, your character, your abilities, your dreams and aspirations, your values, your life experiences, your life lessons learned, your joys and your sorrows, your strengths and your flaws, your wholeness and your brokenness, all of these are your treasure. They are of enormous value to you and to the world. They make you who you are; and you are of tremendous value. Oh, so you thought your flaws and sorrows, your brokenness and weaknesses made you less valuable and depreciated the treasure within you? You are wrong! A hundred-dollar bill whether it is old and used or new and crisp is still a hundred-dollar bill and still has the same value. Whether it is in the hand of a king or a peasant its value is the same.

The Apostle Paul had a weakness, he referred to it as a thorn in his flesh, we are not told what his particular weakness was but he asked God to take it away and God responded, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). When you are weak is when God’s power shows up in your life to a greater extent. Your chips and cracks, your bounces, your dents and your bruises, are what make you more interesting. Your imperfections allow you room to grow and learn, to improve and become an even better you. They do not make your treasure less valuable. You have treasure within you!

Clay Jars

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Cor. 4:7).

In ancient times clay jars were created by skilled potters who molded and shaped the raw clay into what they wanted it to be. They then baked the clay until it was hard and afterward, glazed, painted or decorated it as they saw fit. Whenever the ancients needed to secure sacred scrolls or valuable documents, they were placed inside a jar of clay and hidden. You and I are that clay jar, the potter who molded the jar is our Creator God, and treasure has been deposited in us. We must always remember, that our treasure is from God and not from ourselves.   

I like to think of your treasure and mine, as all that I have already mentioned, as well as your potential. I am a huge believer in potential and fully support and embrace Dr. Munroe’s teaching on the topic. I believe that God has placed potential, which I like to think of as buried treasure in all of us. I believe that with every fiber of my being. What we do with that potential is up to us. Dr. Munroe describes potential as, “dormant ability…reserved power… untapped strength…unused success…hidden talents…capped capability”. He also says something that has become one of my favorite quotes, “The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life that never realized its full potential.”

I urge you to discover your treasure. Some questions to ask yourself in doing so:

What drives you? What are your strengths? What are you good at doing?  What are your abilities? What are your best character traits? What have you always dreamed of doing? What do you enjoy? What difference do you want to make on this earth? What legacy do you want to leave behind? What do you want your life to say?

Like I said before, when you discover your treasure, use it up. You have a responsibility to use it up. Do not bury it in the ground like the lazy servant in Matt. 25, who consequently had his treasure taken away from him and given to another. In response Christ Himself said, “Everyone who uses what they have will get more. They will have much more than they need. But people who do not use what they have will have everything taken away from them” (v. 29). Using up your treasure; your gifts and abilities will only make them multiply and become more refined.

You have treasure within you! Find it! Use it!

Thank you for taking time to read this post. Go find your treasure! See you next time😊