Does the Lord really have all of you?

(Mat 6:19-21) The choice between two treasures.

“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.”

Jesus, MANY TIMES points to the Kingdom of Heaven. He does so again here. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth”…. Jesus wants us to make sure our mindset isn’t this life but the one to come.  We as Christians have to keep the mindset that we are just traveling through.  This isn’t our home.

It isn’t always that earthly treasure in and of itself is bad.  They just have no real value. The American life/dream goes counterintuitive to the Lord’s mandate in storing up treasures in heaven.  David Guzik says that if we store our treasures here on the earth it really just leads to a life of doom and gloom.  He goes on to say, regarding material things, the secret to happiness is not more, it is contentment. In a 1992 survey, people were asked, how much money they would have to make to life “the American dream.” Those who earn $25,000 or less a year thought they would need around $54,000. Those in the $100,000 annual income bracket said that they could buy the dream for an average of $192,000 a year. These figures indicate that we typically think we would have to have double our income in order to find the “good life”. But the Apostle Paul had the right idea in1 Timothy 6:6: “Now godliness with contentment is great gain”.

The Lord isn’t saying it is wrong to have nice things.  He is just saying it is wrong to only store it for yourself.  He is reminding us we are stewards of the money.  When we come to know Christ we are supposed to give him every part of ourselves.  We are to lay down our wants for His wants.  We are to seek His heart so that our heart looks like his.   

…”where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” We are reminded here that everything we store up on earth can all vanish at any moment for any reason.  We have seen this in home values during the crash a few years back. We see this in the stock market when it takes a crash.  To be clear, I am not saying it is wrong to buy a house or bad to own stocks.  However, it all has to be in the proper perspective.  We have to understand that all these earthly treasures are fleeting and not promised. 

…. “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven”.. In comparison heavenly treasures are eternal, everlasting, and can not be taken away.  We spend so much time trying to have the good life on this earth we forget it’s only for a small time in comparison to an eternal reward.  What we store in heaven will benefit us for eternity.  

If I offer my children a really great reward that they can get in the future but have to work for it now, but also give them the choice of something less but can have it now they always choose the thing they can get more quickly.  It is time the church stop acting as immature children living in a microwave mentality and be mature with storing up our treasure.  Let us stop choosing the things that will give us temporary joy.  Let’s look at the big picture and take the choice that will honestly benefit us the longest (eternity).

….”For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”: Here Jesus is linking your treasure and your heart.  He tells us we can only have it in one place. If you are unsure of where your heart is take a look at your finances.  As a steward in sonship with the father take look at where you put your resources.  That will in fact tell you where your heart is and the true intentions of it. 

In the book of Matthew and the book of Luke it says  “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

So, I ask you today as a follower of Christ where are you putting your treasure?  Who are you serving? God? Money? 

I also would say the answer to these questions is the real place you are putting your heart.  Let us take an honest look of where our heart, hope, and treasure truly are.  

Let us be a people that looks to the kingdom in the here and now with all parts of us.. (Mind.Body.Soul.Spirit.Treasure.)  The scriptures above really say is if He doesn’t have even one He doesn’t really have it all. It is all or nothing.  And, if He doesn’t have it all…. What does that make our faith?  The word counterfeit comes to mind.. Let our faith not be counterfeit. Let us give ALL of ourselves to Him.  Let us not be a slave to this life, but good stewards and always have the kingdom in our mind set.

We are living in a time where people have been so panicked they are buying toilet paper by the car loads.  Times are uncertain.  What would the church look like if we started to remember where to store up our treasure?  More toilet paper? That’s the best we can come up with.  Let us be diligent and faithful stewards of the treasure the Lord has entrusted us with.  And may all who come behind us find us faithful.