Treasure in Heaven
Matthew 6:19-20 “19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
As Americans, who are wealthier than 98% of people around the world, who have a house with more rooms than we actually need, and often multiple vehicles, a camper trailer, a garage, shed, and/or barn to hold our overflowing amount of possessions, and a 401k so we can retire In our mid-sixties (or earlier), what does it mean for us to store up treasure on earth versus treasure in heaven? We seem to be pretty good at storing up earthly treasures which decay, need to be maintained, and cared for, and in the end have no lasting value. Compare this to treasure in heaven which is where we invest in kingdom oriented ministry that lasts forever. How much do we spend on our ourselves, or our family or friends (as a percentage of our income or expenses) versus being generous towards kingdom oriented work including missions, missionaries, and the church? In other words, Kingdom work which shares the Good News of Jesus, which is of eternal value?
We can argue, it is not about a dollar amount but about our heart, we are generous when it counts, when the need arises. And yet Jesus challenges us with these penetrating words, “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).” We can say we are generous, but the truth lies with where we actually spend our money. I challenge you, today or this week, to sit down with your checking account and determine how much you actually have given to God’s kingdom work over the last year. What percentage is that of your entire income or expenses over that same period of time (I.e. divide giving by total income or expense and multiply by 100). You might be surprised as to what that percentage is. In the Old Testament, God told the people of Israel to give a tithe (10%) of their crops (I.e. income) back to the Lord (Lev. 27:30-34), and when they didn’t God said they were stealing from him (Malachi 3:6-11). While we are no longer under the Law through Jesus Christ, the tithe is still a benchmark to help us measure where our treasure is. And Jesus affirmed the tithe as a good thing (Matthew 23:23) even though mercy should be equally as important. However, early Christian’s demonstrated that everything we have is God’s, and therefore they gave way more than 10%, in some cases they gave it all (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32).
Again we push back, giving a percentage of our income doesn’t seem very spiritual or heart felt. Agreed, which is why the Apostle Paul argued that we should give cheerfully and willingly, not under compulsion (2 Cor. 9:7), and yet he also argued that we should give generously by pre-determining what to give as a portion of our income (1 Cor. 16:9), not just when our heart is moved spontaneously by a compelling need. The second challenge is to predetermine what percentage of your income God wants you to give toward his kingdom so you are storing up treasure in heaven and putting your money where your heart should be. Once you determine what that amount is then start giving generously and with faith (because you will never think that you have enough money to give) and see what God does in your heart and how he provides for your needs.