Search for the Hidden Treasure in People


I am currently on holiday in mid-Wales in Carmarthenshire. On our drive from the nearby village to our holiday cottage we pass a sign for a cheese farm. It is a small sign, nailed to a rough fence post. If you blink, you will miss it!

Intrigued, today we decided to pay a visit to the near by cheese farm. Following the unassuming sign down a windy, steep and narrow little country track, where cars need to use passing places to avoid accidents, we arrive at some beautiful and we'll kept farm buildings.

Watching the tourist video introduction it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary cheese farm! It has won numerous awards over the years (and I mean numerous - they have run out of space in their trophy cabinet to display them all!) and supply some of the finest shops in the world including Harrods, Fortnam & Mason and Selfridge's as well as Marks & Spencer's. They have also received a few royal visits from The Prince of Wales, Prices Charles.

After having a very enjoyable tasting session it is obvious why their cheese has done so well - it is very good!

So why am I going on about cheese?

The thing is, this trip got me thinking about how we can often judge the people around us, the people we lead and the people we minister to. How often do we disregard the humble, unassuming sign nailed to the fence post of somebodies life? How often do we just drive past someone because their signpost is not flashy enough or well branded? How often do we underestimate the true value and potential someone may have within them?

Jesus teaches us to dig beneath the surface. He encourages us to search for the hidden potential, to follow the humble unassuming sign post (Matthew 13:44).

He sees through the mess of people lives, of the prostitute, of the embezeller, of the sinner (just like you/me). He looks with the eyes of heaven and identifies the good, the honourable, the life worth saving by giving up his own.

Jesus takes the turning and travels down the steep, winding, dangerous country road in order to find the hidden treasure. When he gets there, he tastes it and it is good!

Might it be time for us as leaders to take a chance on the unassuming person in our church? To look with the eyes of heaven and search for the treasure within those we may naturally want to cross the road in order to avoid?

I'm sure that when we do, we will taste God's goodness and see that it is very good indeed!

Related posts:

Beauty in the Broken

If I was a Stradivarius Violin

You are More than you Imagine!

What if God Worked at Starbucks?

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