Where, pray tell, does our treasure lie?

You can defend truth as well as error. The means are easier to understand after the value of the goal is firmly established. It is a question of what it is for. Everyone defends his treasure, and will do so automatically. The real questions are, what do you treasure, and how much do you treasure it? Once you have learned to consider these questions and to bring them into all your actions, you will have little difficulty in clarifying the means. The means are available whenever you ask. You can, however, save time if you do not protract this step unduly. The correct focus will shorten it immeasurably.T-2.II.3:1-9

A Course in Miracles . Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

What you do depends on what you believe. What you believe depends on what you’ve been told. What you’ve been told depends on a multitude of things but the most basic factor is the power of those who have an incentive to get you to believe certain things. When we believe what we have been told rather than what we know deep down in our heart we perpetrate soul murder. As Polonius says in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet,”above all else to thine own self be true.”

Jesus suggests that when we are confused about the value of the goal we are being told to pursue, we should ask ourselves “What is this goal for?” The goal will be what we or others  treasure and what we treasure is where our mind is. We can be right minded or wrong minded. So at any given time we can ask ourselves which is it?

In Alcoholics Anonymous it is suggested, in step four, that we do a fearless moral inventory What have been our goals? What are our beliefs? How have our beliefs led to certain actions? Have those actions based on those beliefs been constructive and life giving or destructive and life quelching?

In Unitarian Universalism we are asked to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. The emphasis is on “responsible.” Responsible means that we should ask ourselves what is this search for? What is it we think we are looking for and want?

Today, it is suggested that we ask ourselves when we are making decisions about doing things, what is this activity for?