Priority Order

I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you Acts 3:6

Not Possess – If only we could make such a claim! If only we were able, with complete confidence, to say, “I don’t have earthly treasure, but what I do have I will give to you. I have the power and majesty and presence of Jesus and He makes all the difference.” The truth hurts. We should be able to say this, but we are nearsighted. We believe that life’s priorities are determined by tangible, temporal value. So we offer what the world can offer- our money, instead of giving what only Jesus can give, life itself.

If you saw the construction of the Greek sentence, you would see just how amazing Peter’s remark really is. He literally says, “Silver and gold does not exist through me.” The idiom means “do not possess,” but the word itself (huparcho) comes from two words that mean “through” and “to be or to exist.” Peter has his priorities right! Treasures of this earth do not live through him. He does not play the accumulation game. Gold and silver do not find a home in his heart. What a powerful statement! Money has not taken root in his life. It doesn’t grow there.

Since Peter makes no place for money in the garden of his soul, he is able to give away something else. He is able to give away all that he has and that is Jesus. This is the only treasure that grows larger every time it is given away. This is eternity investing. “What I do have I give to you.” Can we say that? Can we say that what we have of the life of Jesus we are able and willing to give away? Or have we adopted the accumulation model in our spiritual lives as well? Are we collecting “Jesus attributes” or are we bestowing life on others?

When the Apostles discovered that God gives, their lives became propulsion channels for the Son. No earthly treasure could take root in their hearts because they emptied themselves of the growing places. Do you think you could plant a tree in a river? Of course not. The purpose of a river is to move water from the source to the outlet in a constant process of emptying. Silver and gold do not live through Peter because he is a conduit, not a reservoir.

What flows in your life cannot be held on to. What dams do you need to break to be the flow?