“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto/sb-borg
Every day, we make lots of choices. We chose how we spend our money, how we deal with people, how we use every moment of our time. We may not notice it, but the choices we make say a lot about us and they show what are our priorities. They also show what are the things we value the most, the things we put our heart in, our treasure.
So how can we evaluate our choices, what does really matter when it comes to selecting the things that we should put our heart into, the things that are our treasure?
Those words that Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21 give us a pretty good idea, so it is actually easy to identify what matters in life: will you take it with you when you die? If the answer is yes, then it matters.
So the gadgets that I love to buy and read about do not qualify. By the way, point taken, Lord. 🙂
How many more things get our attention, time and money, more than they should? TV? Our favorite sports team? Our car? Work? There are so many things that distracts us from investing in what really matters.
Jesus tells us that we need to invest everything in the kingdom of heaven:
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44-46)
Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is worth everything you’ve got and everything you’ll ever have. Don’t lose track of it, and don’t let it be taken away in exchange for things that you will eventually have to leave behind. Don’t trade the everlasting for what is finite. Don’t trade what’s priceless for what’s expensive.
Our heart must be in the right place: with Him, storing up treasures in heaven.
Question for you: there are tons of things that distract us from giving our best to the Lord. My “distractions” are gadgets and technology, I usually invest time and money on them. What about yours?
This post is part of the “One Word at a Time Blog Carnival” hosted by Peter Pollock. Check out his blog for links to other posts that were written based on the word “treasure”.
The computer … It is a double edged sword … 🙂
I know what you mean, Russel… 🙂
Wonderful choice of scriptures in your post! Your question “What are distractions that take up money and time. My husband keeps my computer updated with the latest protection, and he works on our computers too. So that means extra hard drives, and what ever he needs to be ready in a crash. My distraction would be my computer – – – but it also is a treasure and a blessing. I keep in touch with my loved ones in a flash and also keep up with the world and events. So handy to do online shopping too! 🙂
Thank you for your comment, Hazel. About the computer, I should add it to my list too… 😉
I know my closet has more than enough clothing (even if there’s a story behind it). I’m glad to think of the ways I don’t give into indulgence. I’m not so glad to think of the ways I do.
Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is worth everything you’ve got and everything you’ll ever have.
Very nice paraphrase, Chris!
Anne, thanks so much for sharing and for your feedback.
The only things you can take to heaven are your relationship with God, your relationships with people, who you are and what you’ve done for Christ. I think that if you spend time working on storing up treasure in heaven then a little relaxation is a good thing.
Gail, that’s it, those are the things we should focus on. Thanks for commenting, I appreciate it.