Treasure

Don't collect for yourself treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth or rust destroys, and where thieves don't break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there you heart will be also.

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness-how deep is that darkness.

No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money. Matthew 6:19-24

These all go together. It seems odd that right in the middle of talking about money we are challenged about our eye.

Yet the advertisers know and understand the eye. They know if they can show you a visual picture of what it would be like to possess their object then you will most probably buy it. Jesus understood this because He said, 'where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.'

Where is my heart? Is it consumed with thoughts of possessing stuff? Do I spend my spare time thinking and plotting how I can get the stuff?

In the next lot of passages Jesus talks about not being anxious about our life and the gaining of stuff, He encourages us to seek first the kingdom and all these things will be added.

So back to the present. The important thing here is my heart. Where should it be?

The reason we have insurance is because thieves do break in and steal. I have experienced this, it is horrible. Thieves take your treasure, things that matter and are irreplaceable.  We have fires come, flood and storm and suddenly all is taken.

When we have been through such a trauma we are inclined to realise what is really important. People used to say 'all that matters are the photos'. When running from fire or flood what is really important? People suddenly become most important, our family our friends. Stuff can be replaced but people can't.

Verse 33 of chapter 6 tells us that when we seek the kingdom first all these things will be added. So obviously God is willing to give us all good things, just as any Father would. He is encouraging to seek His way first, have Him as our treasure and everything will be in perspective.

My eye has to be trained to see and focus correctly and everything will be OK. I cannot serve money I must serve the Lord. A good way of keeping this attitude in check is by giving of tithes and offerings. Giving strikes at the core of selfishness and keeps it clean.

God's ways are ways of freedom not bondage, His ways are ways of life not death. Today choose life and live! Amen!