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“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21, NIV
No matter who we are, we all have something that we value. It could be a hobby, a pet, a person or even an object. The things we find valuable are where we put time, energy and our hearts. In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus tells us not to make earthly possessions our treasures, but rather to strive for eternal rewards as our goal.
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” – 1 John 2:15-16, NIV
It can be tempting to collect earthly treasures. The media is full of intriguing advertainment for the latest cars, phones, gadgets, clothing and subscription services. However, these things only bring temporary happiness from the world. Jesus and his kingdom are the only things that can bring eternal joy.
We need to remove our focus from earthly treasures and strive for treasures in heaven which can be found in Jesus. Does this mean earthly things and possessions are bad? No, in fact in many cases they can be helpful and good. It does mean, however, that we need to make sure these possessions do not become our heart’s desire, above our desire to follow Christ.
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV
Hebrews 12:2 tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, “the pioneer and perfecter of faith,” and 2 Corinthians 4:18 encourages us to fix our eyes on the unseen and eternal. This is not only encouraging us to focus on Jesus, but also prompting us to focus on loving others and sharing Jesus with people, rather than collecting treasures on earth.
Even the newest and biggest TV and the fanciest homes will eventually decay and fade away. However, neither moths nor rust can destroy the kingdom of God. Jesus encouraged us through Matthew 6 to put our heart in a place where it cannot be stolen or destroyed over time—the kingdom of heaven.
“As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” – Proverbs 27:19, NIV
Do you notice that too often God is not the center of your goals or plans? Does it seem that you treasure objects or even people above your relationship with God? Do your own desires supersede loving God and others? Your priorities can show a lot about the state of your heart and where you are placing your treasures.
The Bible tells us that our lives reflect the desires of our hearts. Proverbs 27:19 describes the correlation between one’s life and heart as the correlation between a face and its reflection in water. This means if we are spending all our time obsessing over how to get many earthly possessions, we are not giving our hearts over to God and His will completely.
Our lives should reflect the love of Christ, not the love of money or possessions. He is more important than anything we will ever have, and salvation is the greatest treasure to be found.
Grand Canyon University knows the importance of finding your purpose. The College of Theology offers many programs to help you fix your eyes on Christ. If you would like to learn more about our campus, degree programs or blogs click Request Info at the top of your screen.
