Article February 13, 2012 Issue

Focus on the silver and wheat

By Tom Hundley

I found myself thinking recently about Jesus’ words: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). I wondered, “Am I earnestly seeking God’s kingdom, or instead am I allowing myself to be drawn in by problems in my life and that I’ve been hearing about in the news?”

The Bible makes references to separation: separating the dross from the silver (see Proverbs 25:4), and separating the tares from the wheat (see Matthew 13:24–30). Obviously, in either case, one would much prefer the silver or the wheat to the scum or the weeds! But the silver and the wheat allude to something, don’t they? Something more substantive. They call to mind the qualities one thinks of as being associated with stability, grace, abundance—right?

I’m finding that one of the greatest things I can do for myself, my loved ones, and all humanity is to cherish the silver and the wheat in my experience—to get a glimpse of God, the eternal, and then to stay focused on spiritual substance. That’s an expression of God’s overflowing love, isn’t it? And I’m comprehending that the willingness to embrace the gist of the Bible passage “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10)—to actually embrace the goodness of peace and happiness, understanding them as what’s real—helps me to reflect stability and grace instead of reacting to outside circumstances.