Treasures in Heaven
“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: 20-21
My sweet daddy recently passed away. Sorting through all his belongings brought on decades of bittersweet memories.
Daddy was not perfect – none of us are – but he gave one-hundred ten percent to everything he did. During his career, he worked in the laundry business, in construction, and the steel industry. He was a self-taught craftsman who built or fixed most anything. With a joyful attitude accompanying those skills, he helped people wherever and whenever he could.
He liked nice things, but they weren’t his focus. Giving was. Not just money, but his free labor, his time and his expertise. He had a soft spot for widows and single moms. He loved little kids who might need a Reeds’ butterscotch or Lifesavers mint to keep them quiet during church. Always with a pocketful of treats, he was known as the Candy Man. At his visitation service, one pastor told me that, fifteen years before, Daddy repaired an electric sign in front of their church. Today, it still works. Though Daddy had not attended that place of worship for years, it didn’t matter. He was following Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” With his heart tuned in to God, Daddy sent treasure to heaven.
While I flipped through the highlighted passages of one of his Bibles, I asked myself, how much treasure am I sending up? How can I do that? I Timothy 6:17-19 explains, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that
which is truly life.”
You may express a desire to do something for God, but believe your finances are insufficient. Your checking account might occasionally dip into overdraft; a savings account is non-existent; and you feel “so broke you can’t pay attention”. Yet you are rich in God’s love, the freedom to revere Him and pursue the dreams He placed inside you. You are enriched by the relationships of family and friends, by shelter, safety and health. All exceed the value of “x” number of dollars in the bank.
Thank the King of the World for His goodness, then listen for His voice telling you how to carry out His wishes. He has already equipped you with the gifts and talents you require. Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Verse 21 of Matthew 6 challenges us, where is your heart? Is it devoted to the two greatest commandments, Love God and Love People? If not, how can you make that happen?
If you’ve ever dreamed of taking a mission trip, start saving and planning now, then go. If that isn’t possible, support someone who is already working the harvest fields in places like Uganda, Myanmar or Mexico with prayer and financial blessing. Even the smallest amounts add up.
Mark 12: 33-34 says: “Jesus…watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him..‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’” The Lord of lords will note every dollar you sacrifice for His Kingdom.
Giving isn’t just opening your wallet; it’s an offering from the heart and expecting
nothing in return. The single mom’s yard requires mowing in summer. When you finish cutting your grass, take care of hers. Share the bounty of your garden with the neighborhood shut in. Remember the elderly widower; invite him to a home-cooked meal.
Like my Daddy did for me, set the example. Include your children as you show Christ’s love in small but significant ways. Your kids will see compassion in action and “… they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
It is said, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” Your humble yet powerful deeds point the way to Christ. Then when your appointed time comes to meet the Savior face-to-face, those treasures you have sent ahead will be your reward in heaven throughout all eternity.
By Elaine Hall
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