Temporary Treasure

READ: MATTHEW 6:19-34; 22:36-40

What’s your greatest treasure on earth? Maybe it’s a prized collection of vintage postcards, or a beautiful and rare electric guitar, or maybe it’s a sizable bank account. None of these things are wrong or bad—things like these can help us enjoy life and take care of ourselves and our loved ones, which are good pursuits. However, it is wrong to make any earthly treasure so important to us that it comes before loving God or loving our neighbors.

Since humans first sinned and brought brokenness into the good world God made, it’s really easy for us to get possessive and even violent about keeping our stuff, so much so that we often begin to block out God and other people, instead of loving them like we’re called to do.

The good news? There is real treasure in Jesus. He died and rose again to save us from sin and death, and He is making all things new, including our hearts. His promises are stored in heaven where they will never be damaged, unlike earthly possessions (1 Peter 1:4).

If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we have treasure in heaven. As we look forward to Jesus’s return, we can enjoy and thank God for all the good things He has given us here on earth, but Jesus frees us from getting too attached to any of these things. They’re all temporary. What matters most is having a relationship with Jesus and the neighbors He’s put in our lives. When we rest in His love instead of our possessions, we usually find it’s much easier to love our neighbors more than our stuff—and we will store up treasure in heaven where it will last forever. • A. W. Smith

• Have you seen any stories in the news lately about people valuing earthly treasure over God and their neighbors? When have you been tempted to do the same? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about this, confessing any sins that come to mind, thanking Him for securing our forgiveness through Jesus’s death and resurrection, and talking to Him about the earthly treasures in your life.

• How might the promises of Jesus help us avoid the temptation to become possessive and to choose stuff over loving God and loving our neighbors? (1 Timothy 6:17-19; 1 Peter 1:3-9)

Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20 (NLT)