Store Up Treasure by Giving It Away

In 1 Timothy 6:18-19 it says, “Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven—it is the only safe investment for eternity!” (TLB)

My generous giving is a premise to one of God’s generous promises. He promises that when I give, I’m not really losing anything. God is actually storing it up in heaven.

I know that God has a bank account for me in heaven because Jesus mentioned it five times— and if God mentions something five times, he must really want me to get the message. Jesus used the repeated command to store up treasure in heaven because he wants me to understand that it’s the most important thing I can do with my treasures here on earth.

So when I give to God or I give to somebody in need, I’m not losing anything. My treasure is actually growing! Only in the kingdom of God am I storing something up by giving it away.

It’s important for me to plan for my future. But even more importantly, I need to start thinking about my eternal bank account in heaven—because that one’s going to last forever!

How do I fund that eternal investment? How do I store up treasure in heaven? Jesus says, “Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home” (Luke 16:9 NLT).

Any money that I give in the cause of Christ, I’m actually investing in eternity. If I invest in other people so that they have a relationship with Jesus, then one day I’m going to get to heaven, and I’m going to hear, “Thank you! I’m here because of you. I'll be your friend for eternity!”

I can’t take it with me, but I can send it ahead. So I need to store up my reward in heaven by being generous with everything I’ve have so that others can hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Since I’ve been blessed with wealth, I need to thank the Lord. I shouldn’t be proud and I shouldn’t trust in my money. I should use my money to do good, be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share. No matter how much money I have, I want my life to demonstrate that God controls the wealth that he has placed under my care.