Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be. That sounds easy enough to understand. For my whole life I thought that whatever you believe in – what you love – that’s where you put your treasure. That’s not quite right.
What follows what in this? Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be. What Jesus is saying is, “Show me your treasure – and I’ll show you where your heart is.” Before you protest, think through an example or two.
I think most of us remember what it was like to be a teenager – hormones raging, insecurity abounding. Could you control how your heart felt? Not likely. When people talk about falling in love, they mean that it was never intended. It was out of control.
That’s not all. A wise pastor once shared a story of woman who was afraid that her husband was having an affair. She wondered how she could know for sure? He told her to see if there were any gifts. He told her to follow the money. If it reached that point where he pulled out his wallet for a person, a line had been crossed. I don’t think this is an absolute, of course, but that is an interesting way to look at it. God makes us stewards of not just money, but also our time and talents. All of those “treasures” can betray where our heart lies.
Even though we can’t control our heart, it doesn’t matter. We can control our treasure. What you do with your money, time, and talents IS up to you. How you behave impacts your life, your heart, and your soul.
Consider God in this regard. You are his treasure. There is nothing more important than you. He proved it by giving up his Son so that you could be with his forever. Want an example? This is true of every Christian, but I want you to check out Pastor Brug’s cancer blog. You can see not just his story but all the people who have been impacted by his story and the disease of cancer. See how great God’s love is.
Want to see more? Watch this week’s sermon in our series, Joyful Generosity: Where Your Treasure Is.
Book(s): Luke
Series: Joyful Generosity
Tag(s): Stewardship, Temptation
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg