"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."
The greatest treasures we can ever find are those which have infinite and unequivocal value. The Bible speaks of many, highlighting their importance in the life of a Christ-follower. Treasures such as faith, hope and love echo sentiments Paul shares in his letter to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 13:13). Integrity, character and sound speech are highly encouraged in Paul's letter to Titus (Titus 2:7). Moreover, Paul esteems the fruit of the spirit to the Galatians, which holds immense value in the church of Jesus Christ to this day. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). In many cases, treasures abound to those who seek them with determined focus and unwavering humility, but pride can easily interfere and distract our attention if we allow ourselves to become frustrated or impatient. Therefore, it is imperative we distinguish which treasures we should focus our attention upon and why the heart is the most critical factor in determining our future. Jesus clearly taught, "Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander" (Matthew 15:17-19). As a result, we must be ever mindful to not only guard our tongues, but focus our attention on the root issue which feeds our fleshly behavior.
If there was ever a summary verse that depicts the battle between good and evil, heaven and the world, it would be Matthew 6:19-21. The reference to "treasures on earth" speaks to the intoxication of worldly pleasures, while "treasures in heaven" points to spiritual blessings which have infinite, eternal value. How then are we to reconcile when worldly treasures such as money aid the pursuit of Christianity in the world? There are countless churches and ministries who depend upon the financial support of faithful stewards, but are more dependent on the condition of man's heart far more than we realize. The key to understanding this distinction lies not in the treasures themselves, but in man's attitude at the heart level. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains it this way: "Our Lord is concerned here not so much about our possessions as with our attitude towards our possessions. It is not what a man may have, but what he thinks of his wealth, what his attitude is towards it. There is nothing wrong in having wealth in and of itself; what can be very wrong is a man's relationship to his wealth. And the same thing is equally true about everything that money can buy." Similarly, Jesus taught, "There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him" (Mark 7:15). In other words, if we are serious about gaining control of our lives and living for Christ the way we should, we cannot blame the things of this world for our problems. Yes, circumstances (both fairly and unfairly) create cause-and-effect scenarios every day of our lives, but they do not define us. How we react or respond to a given situation is an opportunity to gauge our spiritual temperature and determine what adjustments we need to make.
Love of money is not our only earthly treasure to guard against. Love of status, position, praise, honor, etc., all have the ability to sway our allegiance away from God and onto temporary satisfactions. It is imperative we highlight the distinction between temporary and permanent. Treasures that are temporary are subject to deterioration and destruction, just as Jesus highlights in His examples of moths and rust. Eventually, they will expire in one form or fashion. What we must realize is that permanent treasures differ from permanence altogether. For example, a man who lives for himself, abuses and takes advantage of others, and sows seeds of dissension, animosity and hatred will certainly receive a permanent "reward" (i.e. judgment) for his actions. That is not to be misconstrued as treasure though. Permanent treasures exist to glorify God, not self, and build upon the foundation of salvation Jesus paid for by His blood. Therefore, when we invest our time by volunteering to serve at a shelter or visit widows and elderly, we lay up treasures in heaven. When we mentor youth in our communities through educational programs or participate in foster care or adoption, we lay up treasures in heaven. When we love our spouses by providing honesty, trust, stability, spiritual leadership and wise stewardship, we lay up treasures in heaven. When we teach and admonish our children with Godly discipline and discernment, and sacrifice personal hobbies in lieu of quality time with them, we lay up treasures in heaven. Bottom-line, when we utilize the gifts, talents and resources God has blessed us with to impact the world in the name of Jesus Christ, we lay up treasures in heaven.
The idea of deterioration due to moth or rust is not the only reality we must guard against. Jesus warns us to lay up treasures in heaven where thieves are unable to steal. It is fairly easy to think of instances where physical possessions fall victim to theft or destruction, but what of our emotional, relational or even spiritual well being? Are we naive to believe theft only comes in physical form? Regarding spiritual warfare we face daily, Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). In actuality, Satan cares nothing for the treasures of this world. His focus is utilizing worldly pleasures to enslave us according to our fleshly passions and quiet the Spirit's conviction. That is why a young woman who sacrifices her virginity under the false security of a man's love is crushed when he ends the relationship; or a man who lives for his job is lost when a promotion passes him by or downsizing results in unexpected unemployment; or a youth seeking acceptance is willing to cast aside his/her morals and values in order to fit in culturally. Once Satan establishes a stronghold within our hearts, it is impossible for us break free apart from the Holy Spirit's power. That is why God's Word reminds us, "For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). The minute we realize who our enemy truly is, we can begin to guard our hearts from theft and destruction and lay up treasures in heaven.
Scripture compels us with this absolute promise: "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:11). Knowing this is true, how can we who identify ourselves as Christians allow anyone or any circumstance to steal our joy? We have assurance that "the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one" (2 Thessalonians 3:3). Therefore, if we sow seeds of righteousness and in turn, lay up treasures in heaven, our hearts will not be so easily overcome by the enemy. Our countenance and character will not be compromised nor our faith, trust and hope in the God of our salvation be broken. For opportunities abound to lay up treasures on earth despite the Spirit's conviction, because the pull of temptation is overwhelming at times. When we are worn down by stress and fatigue, falling back on our vices (immoral/wicked behavior) is appealing, comfortable, and momentarily satisfying, even when we know it's wrong! But as quickly as the climactic "rush" wears off, the realization we have sinned and essentially placed our bets on the things of this world comes flooding in like a tidal wave of conviction. In those moments, we must remember who we are IN CHRIST. The Bible affirms, "You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men" (1 Corinthians 7:23). Therefore, we cannot allow ourselves to adopt false ideology which assumes God is okay with us choosing enslavement to sin over the freedom He freely offers by grace through faith. "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God" (Deuteronomy 4:24), and we are required to choose whether we will serve Him by laying up treasures in heaven, or serve our flesh by laying up treasures on earth.
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