YOUR HEART IS WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS
YOUR HEART IS WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. —Luke 12:13-34
How do you measure success? How do you measure life? How do you measure security? How do you measure what is important to you? Are you covetous? Do you want what others have? Do you crave and yearn after what others have in such a desirous way as to possess what they have? What truly is important to you?
Jesus told us to be on guard against all covetousness. Then He taught this parable about storing up for retirement for self without being rich toward God. Jesus summed up this parable like this— “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” Watch out that we are so focused on saving toward “retirement” for ourselves that we are not “rich” in our relationship with our Lord! Jesus said that life is more than food, clothing, food or drink. We need to reflect on how He takes care of the birds and flowers and not be anxious about the needs of life, but trust Him for them. We are valuable to Him and He will take care of us.
Instead we are to seek His Kingdom as first priority and He will give us the resources we need. We are not to fear, but trust Him and to live simply. Now there is the challenge for us in the West which is very materialistic. The nations, including our own, seek after materialism, but we are not to! We are to use what we have to help others and this is how we can build up treasure in heaven that lasts. Let us be Building treasure in heaven by a right heart attitude and action.
Oh Father may this be so in my life by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. So be it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RjXVFDRqQk