Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

                                                                                                                 Matthew 6:19-21

Today: Read Matthew 6

Our passage today reminds us of the importance of keeping our eyes focused on the things of God and not on earthly things. Jesus tells us not to store up treasures on earth, rather to store up treasures in heaven. This is foolishness for the unbeliever. For the Christian however, this makes perfectly good sense. After all, material things are only for use in this world, but serve absolutely no purpose beyond this life. Believers understand that we own nothing and that all of our possessions, even our children, are on loan to us only for a time. Jesus reminds us not to worry about money (v 25), but to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness then all of those other things will be added (v 33). Here are some truths for us to consider when assessing our attitude toward wealth.

Truth #1:

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

                                                                                                                 Matthew 6:24

We have to make a choice. We cannot serve God and wealth at the same time. Jesus is not saying that it’s wrong to make money, rather He is reminding us not to serve money. When our goal in life is to see how much we can acquire, we start down the road of serving money. We have to make a choice. We are either living for God or we are living for ourselves. It’s that simple.

Truth #2:

“Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

                                                                                                                       Luke 12:15

Our possessions define what we have, not who we are. Jesus reminds us to guard our hearts against any form of greed. Jesus illustrates this point by telling a parable of a man who was extremely wealthy, so much that his barns could not contain all that he had. So he decided to build bigger barns to support his wealth. In Jesus’ day, the hearers lived in an agrarian society, so crops equaled wealth for them. Today, we can think of this as someone who works hard his/her whole life and has amassed wealth. This can take the form of bank accounts, investments, property, and so forth. Listen to what the man tells himself: “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry” (Luke 12:19). God’s responded to the man by saying: “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?” (v 20) So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God (v 21). The problem was not the man’s wealth rather it was his outlook on life believing (falsely) that his abundance was in his possessions. He was materially wealthy but poor in spiritual things.

Truth #3:

“Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

                                                                                                            Matthew 19:23-24

Money can actually act as a barrier between a man and God. Jesus reminded His disciples of how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Is it possible for a person to have material wealth and be a Christian? Of course! But for the believer, money is not the goal of life rather wealth merely acts as a means of blessing others.

As believers, we are heirs to the kingdom of God. Everything that is His belongs to us as well. And this godly wealth is eternal. Believers never have to worry about not having their needs met. When we seek God first, He provides everything else that we need to live an abundant life in Jesus. I hope today finds you rich toward God. Take some time to praise Him for your wealth, materially and spiritually!

For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?

                                                                                                                        Luke 9:25