Precious, valuable, and kept close...what we treasure can consume us. In this day we are living in, it is getting tougher to treasure up money or items of great value as inflation and recession soars. This inability to store up money can be frightening, grief inducing, and even life threatening as we have responsibilities, commitments, and dependents. Our world and culture is moved by money and it places success on that. It can become our everything, but what if there was more to life than this? What if we stored up and focused on something else more important that would set us free?
"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." Matthew 6:19-21
Rust, moths, and thieves are pretty common. Beautiful homes along the coastline seem like perfection, but the misty sea air rusts anything it can. Designer couture are not invincible against moths. Thieves come in all shapes and sizes and most of us have experienced someone taking from us, whether it's a porch thief to a smartly dressed billionaire. We can buy the best paint and security systems, but it is not going to protect us from the world and the trials of it. But Jesus offers so much more security for our life and soul.
In Matt 6, Jesus is encouraging us to not focus on these earthly things and instead on the matters of the heart. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." That is profound. It also says in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” No matter if you are a practicing Christian or a doubter, this is something we can all see and experience. It's easy to become consumed by anything you are passionate about, driven by, or plagued by. Money, work, entertainment, popularity, power, relationships, and substances are just a few things. There might be temporary benefits to these things, but in the end, it will not bring the benefits that come with salvation - purpose, fulfillment, wisdom, relationship with the Creator, and eternal life.
It is the desire of satan to have us captivated by the things of this world if it means we lose our salvation in Christ. In Matthew 4, satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus was fasting 40 days, so satan thought he'd take the opportunity to make Jesus fall. "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." (Matt 4:3) And then Jesus responds, "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matt 4:4)
Jesus did not fall for the enticements of satan, who was trying to prevent the perfect savior from making it to the cross of salvation, instead Jesus used scripture to point that life is found in every word of God. And that is true today, 2000+ years later, God's word is the bread of life and salvation is found in Christ.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil." John 3:16-19
Jesus sends home in John 3:16 the reason for His coming...salvation and to be in the light. We are all condemned in this world as we are all tainted by sin, but Jesus, perfect and fully God, came to bring salvation for us in 4 B.C. What does salvation look like? It means we confess with our mouth that Jesus is our Lord and ask for forgiveness of our sins. We are made new and leave behind the old ways to walk in new ways of Christ. It means trusting in the Lord and believing in Him. It means spending time with Him daily in His word and praying to grow and abound in Him as we have to exercise to change. Instead of worldly wealth, you will receive other blessings that will encourage and change your life. Because "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" Mark 8:36
If you are thinking, so what? I've made it through life this far, and I don't need God telling me what to do. I want to do what I want. I am my own god or goddess. Well, then the world is your oyster, but you will miss out greatly on the treasure of Christ and have eternal life in hell. Hell is not a cool, "sick" party as it is protrayed, instead it is "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (per Jesus in Luke 13:28). It's not something I personally want, but your call. If you are thinking, well, I have time. Do you? Do you know how long you are going to live? No one knows their length of time on earth.
I have been a Christian for 30 years and I have definitely had some desert times. Every time I decide to look to Him, my life changes. It is always better when I put Him first and forward in my life. I have more fulfillment, wisdom, and less needs. It changes my priorities and perspective. For instance, my husband and I have been tight on money and normally we do a lot for each other and others at Christmas. I'm okay because gifts are not the most important thing, despite the commercials that keep coming up with red and green offers. God has blessed us so abundantly and my relationship with Jesus and my loved ones are more important to me than Christmas gifts. With Christ, you learn to have joy and gratitude even when things are tight and it blesses your heart with full assurance.
“That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3
A treasure of knowledge and wisdom can change your soul making Christ the treasure worth seeking and keeping. Today, what is your treasure?
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