By Alex Malone
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 6:19-21
“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.”
OBSERVATION
In this scripture we see the vivid picture of the two treasures we can possess. We see that earthly treasures are temporary—so much so that moths and rust destroy them—but our heavenly treasure is eternal and everlasting. This doesn’t necessarily mean that earthly belongings are bad, but they have no real value to us. With that being said God instructs us to be good stewards of our blessings and not store them all for ourselves. In contrast we see that our heavenly treasures cannot be corrupted or fade away with time but are EVERLASTING! Having treasures in heaven gives us enjoyment on earth with contentment as we are faithful givers because we know our greatest reward is on the other side of eternity (1 Timothy 6:6; Matthew 24:35).
OBEDIENCE
As a young adult, this scripture hit me hard. It is so easy to fall into the motions of our world constantly telling us we need more—more things, more entertainment, more money to make us happy. The world teaches us the complete opposite of what this scripture is telling us, and that can be hard to grasp. As cliché as it sounds, we truly cannot take our money, belongings, successful careers, etc. with us. As we ease back into “normal” life again, I pray we will have more of Him and less “stuff” to fill us. Here are some ideas for obedience:
- Write down some areas where there might be idols in your life. Be honest with yourself. Ask the Lord to reveal those areas that you need to work on.
- Confess those idols with your small group or a close friend. Ask them for their prayers and to help keep you accountable. (We can’t do it alone.)
- Replace the idols that are stealing your attention/identity and replace them with His truth. This could mean less screen time and more time in the Word, listening to worship, or finally picking up that Bible study you’ve been wanting to do.
- Accept His love and grace! We all fall short and struggle with earthly, short term “happiness.” Replace it with His JOY.
PRAYER
Lord, You are so good. Even when we want to run to materialistic things to fill us, You are always there. Help us to turn from our earthly mindset to an eternal mindset. Lord, help us to be givers and great stewards for You. Guide us this week; fill us up with Your joy and not the temporary happiness we get from other things that as you say can be destroyed so easily. Thank You for loving us. Amen.
