Laying up treasure in heaven is about learning to value what is valuable to God. It will probably mean coming to appreciate the intangible riches of the kingdom inheritance more than the visible accumulation of stuff on earth. It might mean that your philosophy on wealth gets turned upside down by the teaching of Jesus, where mercy gets a better rating than mutual funds and sacrifice appraises higher than self. Laying up treasure will always be more about God’s purpose and less about your personal accumulation. Kingdom values, the characteristics Jesus teaches in this sermon, are worth more in God’s economy than all the rusting riches we have come to hold dear. I was an economics major in college, but the riches of God would never find their way onto any of the graphs I had to plot.
What do you think would be considered treasure in heaven? How about large accounts of forgiveness given? Drawers full of grace extended. A mattress stuffed with sacrifice and service and goodness. A cookie jar brimming with memories made and hugs given and tender looks across crowded rooms. A safe-deposit box packed with the secret life you have devoted to God. Maybe there is an old moving box stuffed with contentment. A scrapbook full of the joy you accumulated on the journey. And love – wouldn’t it be great to need a garage out back just to hold all the love?
When I travel away for a weekend of ministry there are several ways to assign value to my time. My accountant might value my honorarium. The IRS values my taxes. The business folks value books sold. That’s all fine, but non of it gets stored in heaven. What gets God’s attention are lives changed. Treasure is stored in heaven when I value what God holds in esteem. Things like serving the church, sacrificing my time or my comfort for the needs of others, or crafting a message that meets a need within the body of Christ. Those acts of service are treasures to God.
As a mom, there are things that are very important to me on earth, but I am learning to sacrifice my desires in order to preserve the kingdom treasure in our family. I could be really intense about a clean house and orderly closets and neatly ironed shirts. I am predisposed toward organization. It’s a firstborn thing. But I have realized that in this season, my desire for household perfection is really about my desire for appearance. I want to look like I have perfect kids and a perfect house. I don’t. Every time I begin to value the appearance more than the children, I stress out our family. I forsake kingdom in order to have Barbie clothes organized by color and storybooks alphabetized by author. It’s more important to God that I value the hearts of the children, that I teach them reasonable order, and that I learn to trade in the ironing for a game of Battleship every now and then.
When you and I begin to lay up treasure in heaven , it means that we are beginning to look more like the woman God had in mind. The things we acquire on earth are enjoyed with open hands, but the riches that motivate our hearts are the treasures that matter to God. People matter to God and hearts matter to God and love matters more than anything.
This Scripture says that your heart follows your treasure. Wouldn’t it be amazing to be a woman whose treasure always leads her toward the kingdom?
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