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