Saturday, January 9, 2010

Heavenly Treasures


“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)

Sometimes in life we can all get caught up in this world by what it has to offer. I know that before I became a Christian a lot of my time was focused around my job and family.

I enjoyed my job as a police officer and would sometimes volunteer for extra assignments just to be able to make more money. It seems like the more money I made, the more money I needed to be satisfied. I was self-centered and only thought about what I could do for myself and my family.

What exactly did Jesus mean when He said not to lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, but to lay up treasures in Heaven? The Bible is full of scriptures telling us that we should never place anything above God. That we should love God with all our heart, mind, and soul. I think what Jesus was trying to get across was that He wanted us to not put material objects or a person before our Holy God.

The closer we get to our Lord the more we become "Christ-Centered" instead of being "Self-Centered". Jesus is telling us to stop thinking about what we can do for ourselves and to open our eyes to all the hurting people that are suffering and in need of help.

Jesus is telling us that the treasures built up in Heaven are those things that come from the heart, such as the compassion, love, and mercy that we show by helping others.

If your treasures are those of helping people that are in need, that is where your heart will also be. If your treasures are those of having the biggest house, most expensive cars, and a big bank account, that is where your heart will also be.

Father God, I pray that my eyes will continue to be focused on You and that I will not be blinded by the world standards and definition of "treasures".

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