Do You See the Treasure?
Three years ago, I wrote that we’re sitting on a goldmine. That’s still true — except this goldmine is deeper and richer than we ever imagined.
I’m talking about the gospel of Jesus — the treasure worth everything. The kind of treasure that, once discovered, makes you want to sell everything with joy just to have it (Matthew 13:44–45). And the wonder of it is, once you have it, you don’t hoard it, but you give it away freely — because it only multiplies in the giving.
This gospel is the one treasure every human heart was made for. It meets our deepest longings — even the ones we don’t quite know how to name.
A few years ago, I was struck by a book called Making Faith Magnetic by Daniel Strange. Strange argues that the gospel not only makes sense of the human condition, but actually fulfills the five major longings we see all around us in culture. And these five longings are not only out there — they’re in us, too. That means this book is not just an evangelism tool; it’s a discipleship resource.
Strange puts it this way:
If my whole life is connected to the gospel, and if I'm growing as a disciple in every part of my life, then the task of connecting the gospel to other people’s lives becomes more natural, because we all face common struggles. … lf I’m connecting the dots in my everyday story, then I'll be much better equipped to connect the dots in your everyday story.” (15)
So what are these longings?
The Five Longings
1. Totality: A Way to Connect?
We all want to know where we belong. As I’ve heard Chip Dodd put it, “Everywhere we go we’re looking for someone looking for us.” This longing looks across the landscape of the world and asks, How do I fit in here?
2. Norm: A Way to Live?
This longing asks, Is there a right way to live? Even in a culture allergic to moral absolutes, there remains a deep sense that some things are just right — and others aren’t. But whose rules? And why? Being left to ourselves to figure this out isn’t as freeing as it might first appear.
3. Deliverance: A Way Out?
Here we start with the gut-level feeling that something is broken. We feel the weight of sin, sorrow, and injustice. We long for rescue. We have desires for which nothing in this world can satisfy, and this discontent makes us look to get out of here, wherever that “here” might be.
4. Destiny: A Way to Control?
This longing asks, Can I shape my life? Can I take hold of the future? In our hyper-informed world, where personality tests, ancestry reports, and conspiracy theories abound, we’ve never known more about ourselves and been more suspicious of others — and yet we often feel more stuck than ever.
5. Higher Power: A Way Beyond?
Finally, we sense that there’s something — Someone — beyond this world. We long for transcendence. We want to be connected to something higher.
How Is Jesus the Answer?
Making Faith Magnetic is worth a read to explore these themes more fully, but here’s a short sketch of how each longing points to Jesus:
Totality — Jesus connects us. In him, we are reconciled to God and joined together with others who are also united to him. If I’m in Jesus and you’re in Jesus, then we’re together, and we’re home.
Norm — Jesus doesn’t just give us rules; he is the standard. He is the perfect embodiment of righteousness — and he’s the Savior for all who fall short (which is all of us).
Deliverance — Jesus died and rose to set us free. He delivers us from the power of sin and death and gives us a new identity, a new citizenship, and a new hope.
Destiny — We don’t have to be in control, because God is. And he is good. In Jesus, we’re freed from the burden of self-determination and invited into God’s wise and loving plan. I recently heard the Brandon Lake lyric, “You have good plans — if it’s not good then you’re not finished yet.” This is true.
Higher Power — In Jesus, we are not just vaguely spiritual — we are children of the Father. We are loved, known, and secure forever.
Still the Treasure
So here we are again, a few years later — with the same treasure before us. It hasn’t changed. But maybe we have. Maybe we’re more aware now of the longings in our own hearts. Maybe we’ve seen those longings play out in people we love.
Remember the treasure. Believe it afresh. And let’s share it more and more.
