I closed my blog posting at Desiring God this week with these sentences:
I hope you will attend (the Desiring God Disability Conference) to be encouraged in your own faith and to prepare yourself to treasure God in all circumstances. The day is coming when you, or members of your church, will be given a choice that is not truly ours to make. On that day, the world will know who or what you treasure most.
I’ve been thinking I wasn’t clear enough on what I meant by ‘treasure.’ Pastor John has covered that many times, including in What Jesus Demands from the World (paragraph formatting and emphases in bold are mine):
He did not die to make this life easy for us or prosperous. He died to remove every obstacle to our everlasting joy in making much of him.
And he calls us to follow him in his sufferings because this life of joyful suffering for Jesus’ sake (Matt. 5:12) shows that he is more valuable than all the earthly rewards that the world lives for (Matt. 13:44; 6:19-20).
If you follow Jesus only because he makes life easy now, it will look to the world as though you really love what they love, and Jesus just happens to provide it for you.
But if you suffer with Jesus in the pathway of love because he is your supreme treasure, then it will be apparent to the world that your heart is set on a different fortune than theirs. This is why Jesus demands that we deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him.
John Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World, p. 71.
May we treasure Jesus in such a joyous way that it is not just apparent to the world where our heart is set, but they want to set their hearts there as well!
The Works of God 
I’m an individual who suffers from a severe Environment Illness. I become disabled mentally, emotionally and physically when exposed to even very small amounts of perfumes/scented products, new building construction, petroleum products along with a number of other types of items. I spent much time alone. I haven’t been able to attend church since 2007 without severe flares that set me back in bed for weeks. This is a very lonely life, but I am NOT alone! My treasure is Jesus Christ who is ALL I truly have. Daily I tell Him I will trust Him in what I don’t understand. If this illness, suffering and near isolation will give Him glory, I will follow Him because I love Him so very much. How can I not? He died for our sins! He loved us more than any human has ever loved before. What a treasure He truly is!! Thanks for the reminder and brotherly unity in this. It helps me to feel less alone in the human way:)
Diana