Treasure in Heaven

“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 … For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

Rust, corrosion and decay are everywhere in this world. Bridges, highways and ports are all deteriorating faster than we are repairing them. A new car becomes used and “old” in just a few short years; a computer or phone takes even less time, and inflation eats away at the money we hold on to. The fact that earthly possessions fade away quickly is plain to see. This should make Jesus’ advice to store up treasure in heaven an easy decision for us – but it is not an easy thing to do!

For example Jesus said: “… for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail” (Luke 12:32,33). This is difficult; the allure of earthly treasures is strong. They may be fading, corroding and subject to thieves, but they are also immediate and tangible. We do not know exactly what our heavenly treasure will look like; it is difficult to bypass immediate rewards for future, unseen rewards.

Jesus also said that no one can serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). This is helpful, if we allow God to be the Lord of our life. If service to him is the standard and motivating factor for how we live our lives, then it is God who is our master and money will not be. Living a life trying to avoid “serving money” could still leave a void in our lives. On the other hand, living a life full of service to God will not allow room in one’s life to serve money. In the end you cannot serve both!

Ultimately, storing up treasure in heaven requires faith and patience. We are not able to set aside a portion of our paycheck for our “heavenly retirement.” Instead, we must set aside our entire lives in service to others and to God. We do not get a quarterly statement indicating how our heavenly treasure account is faring, but we don’t need one. We can be certain that our heavenly reward will not fade away or be stolen – and that it will far surpass any fading treasure this world has to offer!

In June we were able to pay all of our missionaries 100 percent of their target allowance. We used $40,654 from the General Fund to meet these needs, leaving a General Fund balance of $141,122 at the end of June.

Thank you for your ongoing support!