Where Do Your Treasures Say Your Heart Resides?
During the summer we hear so many stories of the tragic loss of life at sea. Oftentimes, it is people on vacation in the ocean who get caught in a rip current and drown. It can happen so quickly and if you are not paying attention, that current will pull you under and drag you away from the beach in the blink of an eye. It is vitally important to pay attention to the warning signs on the beach and stay close to shore and away from the rip currents.
The things of this world, the offerings it gives us can be like rip currents. Praises, awards, social media likes and follows, the latest gadget, the piece of the nostalgia—these can all act as rip currents and if we are not careful, if we do not pay attention to the signs, the things of this world can pull us away from the Father and drag us down to our death.
“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.” (1 John 2:15)
“Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.” (1 Corinthians 7:31)
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
This world can offer us so much but if we love this world and the things it offers, we do not have the love of the Father in us. These trinkets can pull us under. Jesus told us not to store up treasures for ourselves here on earth. All earthly treasures are doomed, moths and vermin destroy, thieves steal and the whole world will soon pass away. Instead, we should store up treasures in heaven for our treasure reveals our heart’s location. So what can you store in heaven? Certainly not your car or house, not earthly possessions, but family members and loved ones, those we can definitely store as treasures in Heaven. When we spread the Good News of the gospel and the saving grace of Jesus Christ we are storing those treasures in Heaven.
“‘But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,’ says the Lord. ‘I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” (Jeremiah 31:33)
God’s laws, God’s commands, Jesus’ teachings—these are all things we should treasure and all can be stored within our hearts. Remember, where our treasure is, there our heart will be. If we put our treasure in earthly things, then our heart will be found here on earth. Let us store our treasure in heaven and in doing so, our hearts will be found in Heaven.
“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.” (Philippians 3:8-9)
Store up your treasures in Heaven and there your heart will also be, where no rust can touch it, no moths can eat it, and no thieves can steal it. Your treasures and your heart are secure in Heaven. Do you have more treasures on earth or in heaven? Where do your treasures say your heart resides?