The Lost Coin // Part 2
Part 2 of the 2 part series: The Lost Coin
The Lost Coin is part of the two-week study "The Lost Series"
How would we describe our relationship with God? Can we say that we seek Him every day with a steady, earnest, and energetic effort? Because that's how the woman in the parable seeks the lost coin -- with diligence. Not only does God do this with us, but we are called to do it with Him as well. After all, a relationship is a two-way street.
Since each of us is imperfect and gets off-track in our spiritual lives at various times, let us place ourselves in this parable as the woman, seeking to find our lost treasure: God. While this story has just a couple short verses, there are a few things we can learn about seeking the Lord, whether is for the first time or the thousandth time.
Intentionality. The woman very intentionally and deliberately seeks her coin. She does not stumble around the general area of one room, hoping to come across it. She specifically takes actions that lead her closer to finding it. With all the noise and distraction in our society, we always have room for improvement when it comes to intentionally seeking the Lord and building our relationship with Him. In fact, if we are not intentionally moving forward, our relationship is most likely slipping backward. Coasting in neutral doesn't get you up a hill any better than just putting it in reverse . . . Only through intentionally driving forward do we see any progress.
Removing obstacles. This woman does not just decide she wants to find her coin -- she begins removing anything that may hinder search process. She lights a lamp to remove the obstacle of low visibility, and she sweeps the house to remove dust and anything else that may be blocking her from finding the treasure. Sometimes we desire to know God better or to change our lives, but how often do we put effort into removing obstacles that are in the way? We cannot find God without lighting our lamp through prayer. The Holy Spirit is light and truth, and only through actively seeking these do we grow in compassion, love, and virtue. These are things that will guide us closer to our Lord.
A light in the darkness. As mentioned above, the woman removes darkness by lighting her lamp. We are called to recognize the darkness in our lives, those things that may be shrouding us from the Lord, and remove them. There is not a light switch on the other side of the room that God or someone will turn on for us, taking away the need for our labor. We must intentionally allow truth to shine in those dark areas of our hearts, and we must practice openness to God.
We are called to be intentional and to remove obstacles that hinder our relationship with the Lord. It is important that we foster an inner beauty, a personal relationship with God, a life of virtue, so we may become lights to the world (Mt 5:14). Within our personal prayer time or circle of friends, let us consider ways in which we could be more intentional in our spiritual lives, what obstacles might be blocking us from growing in our relationship with the Lord, and how we can shine light into the darkness of our lives.
