TREASURES
Like most Christians, I am confident you desire for
God to guide you. But what if I told you that being a God-led person involved
something more than just praying for or seeking His wisdom in the Bible?
Well, it’s true and the following passage from the
Bible, found in Matthew 6:19-23 shows us what that is. Keep in mind that this is Jesus
talking. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves
treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do
not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also.
The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good,
your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body
will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness,
how great is that darkness!”
Jesus’ point in this passage is that when it comes to
money, the heart of the issue is the heart. Or to put it another way, if you
give to God and God’s work… and you give for the right reasons… God has your
heart. And when God has your heart, He can lead you, because that is how God
leads—through your heart.
Now, you may be asking yourself, “What about being a
servant, or sharing the Gospel, or loving others as yourself? Don’t those show
what’s in my heart?” Yes, those things do reveal your heart. The Bible in 1 Timothy 6:10 says “For the love of money is a root of
all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith
and pierced themselves with many griefs”. One of the
ways we can measure what is important to us is how we view and handle the money
He has entrusted to us. That’s why Jesus said, “For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.”
So I want to ask you a very simple question today:
Where are you laying up your treasures? Here on earth… or in Heaven? I don’t
have to tell you that our culture is obsessed with having stuff. So many
people, inside and outside the church, think, “If I could just get a little
more… if I could just build a bigger house and fill it with a little more
stuff… if I could get a nicer car, then I’d be happy. I just need a little
more, a little more, a little more.” It’s easy to fall
into this trap, isn’t it?!
The Bible tells us that God puts wisdom in the heart.
But if our hearts are full of other things… if we’re laying up treasures here
on earth instead of Heaven… there’s no way that we’re going to discern God’s
wisdom for our lives. It’s that simple. Can I look back over my life and tell
you that I’ve batted a thousand on this? No way! I’ve struck out more times
than I want to admit.
On a personal level I have been amazed at how God
supplies my financial needs. I am in no way a rich man but there was a process
for me some time ago that I needed to understand about money. I learned and
still am learning to be wise with my money, generous and responsible. God
impressed on my heart as the scripture says in 2 Corinthians 9:7 “for God loves
a cheerful giver”. When we realize how God blesses us financially, it does not
matter the proportion of how much you have or how much you give.
I really think that a big part of that has to do with
the heart. God is after your heart. And the way to get your heart is to
get your treasure. Because, when God’s work and God’s ways are your treasure,
then He’ll be able to do mighty things in and through you!
By: Pastor David
Jones