Learning To Store Up Treasure in Heaven

In review of Matthew 6:21 it says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Bottom Line:

Your heart will also be where your treasures are.

What this means to me:

My heart will always follow what and where I consider my treasures.

I will enjoy forever whatever I invest in Heaven, and I invest in Heaven every time I use the money I’ve been entrusted with for Good. While the money I’m entrusted with is used to grow my character, encourage fellowship in the Body and serve others, there are two additional areas I should invest in so that I can yield eternal dividends in Heaven.

One such investment is a Global Fund. This is when I use money to share the Good News and bring others to Jesus. Luke 16:9 says, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (NIV). This verse isn’t indicating that I should buy friends. Rather it means that God wants me to invest in things that help others get into Heaven so that when I get there, they will welcome me. This is one of the greatest investments. Is anybody going to be in Heaven because of me?

One other investment area is God’s Treasury Fund. This is when I give money to God as an act of worship, Rick Warren calls this the Treasury Fund. God makes a promise in Proverbs 3:9: “Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines” (TLB). A tithe is giving the first 10 percent of my income to God. Anything given above a tithe can then be considered an offering. In reality I can’t really give God anything, because he already owns it all. This is much like the allowance I received as a child. When I used it to buy a birthday present for one of my parents, I was really using their money. Does that mean they would like the gift any less? No! Because they cared more about the thought and the love behind the gift. What I’m learning is that God feels the same way about my giving.

The Bible says that wherever my treasure is, my heart will also be there. This indicates that If what’s most important to me are the things of this earth, then every day I’ll be moving further and further away from my treasure. Every day I’m are here on Earth, I’ve got one less day here on Earth. I’m moving further and further away from the things you’re going to leave behind.

However, if I’m investing in God’s funds and using what he provides to serve God’s purposes, then I’ll be storing up treasure in Heaven every day. I’ll be getting closer and closer to my treasure instead of further and further away.

Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Given this I will pray today: “Dear God, forgive me for all that I’ve spent on things that aren’t going to last. I want to start investing in Heaven. I want to invest in these godly funds. I want to use my money the way you want me to use it. Today I commit to using my money to grow my character and grow in spiritual strength, wisdom, and knowledge and become all that you want me to be. Help me to see ways that I can use what you have given to me to strengthen relationships and show love to my brothers and sisters in Christ. I want to invest in eternity by using my money to serve others. I want to learn to be generous. I want to be a blessing to others. And I want to use my money to bring people to you. I want people to be in Heaven because I gave. I want to spread the Gospel through my acts of service. And Father, I want to show where my treasure is by investing in eternity through my gifts and offerings to you. I want to honor you by giving you the first part of all my income. I want to give up my lust for money so that the Almighty himself will be my treasure. Help me to remember that I’m not a fool to give up what I cannot keep to gain what I cannot lose. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”