STORING TREASURES IN HEAVEN!

5th  JULY 2023

“Jesus says, 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

There is a lifestyle that helps fulfill the destiny of mankind. Our individual destiny on earth is to serve God diligently in obedience on earth so we can gain access to His afterlife, or heaven, to use the language of the Scriptures.

To serve God diligently, Jesus teaches that we must obey the commandments of God which are; Loving God with all our hearts, might, and soul, and then loving our neighbours as ourselves (Matthew 22:37). There is a reward in heaven for all those who thus serve God diligently. The Lord will be faithful and reward us for the service we give Him (Hebrews 6:10). Our ministries may differ, but the Lord we serve is the same. Therefore, “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour” (1 Corinthians 3:8).

Further to serving the Lord directly in our ministries, we also have to pay great attention to service to humanity. That point was stressed further in the story of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus wanting to know what he had to do to get eternal life. He had kept the commandments of Moses but wanted to know what he lacked. Jesus replied, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21). The young man did not like the response of Jesus. He walked away with sadness, Jesus then said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you; it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:23).

Everything on earth is transient, and will gradually pass away into oblivion. But when we sow time and money to serve God on earth as stated above, our labour on earth will receive the seal of immortality, and we ourselves will become immortal. Therefore, we become immortal, lasting for eternity when we diligently serve the Lord on earth.

What are the things to do to enable us to store treasure in heaven?

1. Love the Lord

To acquire immortality, we must have the heart to love Jesus. If we serve the Lord, He gives us the power to become immortal. Our desires need to change from earthly things into eternal, everlasting, never-perishing treasures. Colossians 3:2 says, “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” As we look to Christ and trust in the Holy Spirit, for our transformation, we will desire the things that are of His kingdom for His glory, rather than for ourselves on earth. 

2. Service and Nation building.

Like the early church that sold their possessions and distributed them to those in need (Acts 2:45), we can look to the needs of others around us. Jesus told a story in the parable of the banquet about inviting “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” to a feast and said that “you will be blessed because they cannot repay you” (Luke 14:13-14). The Lord sees what we do for Him and we will be repaid “at the resurrection of the just” (verse 14). Although we might not see any reward on earth for helping those in need, we know that we are advancing the heavenly kingdom and giving God the glory, which is of more worth than having an abundance of treasure on earth.

3.  Live a Simple and LIGHT Life 

It is in the nature of man to live large by storing wealth and also to display affluence. There is nothing wrong with wealth acquisition and display of affluence per se. What is wrong however is when God is not glorified in our possession. We glorify God in our possession when we use our possession to serve the Lord, as well as service to others and our communities.  Therefore, we need to hold everything loosely in this life as we fix our gaze on the eternal.

 4. Seek the Kingdom of God First

Having a heavenly mindset will free us from the values found on earth and keep our hearts and mind on Christ and eternity. This is why Jesus says we should seek the kingdom of God first, and everything shall be added to us. Therefore, we have to focus on God with everything we have, from the money we spend, the words we say, our interactions with others and in all that we do. For all that Christ has done for us, we should treasure Him and His kingdom’s purposes first. He knows all that we need so we can seek the kingdom and His righteousness, knowing that everything we need will be added (Matthew 6:33).

5.  Do Not Be Anxious, but trust the Lord always 

Life is a drama, not a competition. Therefore, you have your role assigned to you by God. Do not go into a competition by attempting to perform or act the roles of others. Ask God daily about your role in the drama of life; He will tell you! So, do not be anxious about anything, simply live your life in anticipation of God’s promises.   

After Jesus talks of storing up treasures in heaven, rather than on earth, He tells His listeners not to worry about life, what to eat and drink, or the body and what to wear (Matthew 6:25. Here, Jesus frees us from the false sense of security that money and possessions have on us. It is God who knows what we need and He will take care of us when we trust Him.

It is a radical way to live, yet Jesus lived this kind of life in full obedience to the Father. His priority was always to do His Father’s will and we can trust Him to help us as we seek to live an obedient, holy life for the glory of God. Note that Jesus has given us the Divine Spirit to help us on earth. We can live a life where worry does not hold us captive. Regardless of our circumstances, when we follow Jesus, we can be confident knowing that all our needs are met in Him. 

PRAYERS

Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for your word today. Purify me and protect me from hell. Forgive all my sins, and give me the strength to pick my cross and follow you. Thank you, Jesus.  Amen.

FURTHER READING: LUKE 16:19-31, Mark 10:20 – 21, 1 Samuel 12:24, Colossians 3:23-24.