TID #164 What do you treasure?

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TID #164 What do you treasure?

What’s up TRC and Friends! Today we get after Matthew 6:19-21 and ask the question: What do you treasure?

Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 6:19-21 challenges us to examine what we truly value and where we place our trust. Jesus teaches about storing up treasures, and he provides crucial insights into how we should view and handle material possessions.

What’s the Difference Between Earthly and Heavenly Treasures?

The key distinction isn’t necessarily between physical and spiritual things, but rather our relationship to them. Earthly treasures are things we view as only ours – possessions we try to control and own exclusively. Heavenly treasures involve stewarding resources with an eternal perspective, sharing generously, and using what we have for God’s purposes.

How Do We Know if We’re Storing Up Earthly or Heavenly Treasures?

We can evaluate this through several indicators:

  1. Our emotional response when losing or sharing possessions
  2. Whether we view things as personal property or resources to be stewarded
  3. How willing we are to give access what we possess to others
  4. Whether we find our security in material things or in God

What Makes Something a Heavenly Investment?

Heavenly treasures are characterized by:

  1. Eternal value rather than temporary worth
  2. Focus on impact over personal gain
  3. Willingness to share and steward rather than control
  4. Joy in giving rather than hoarding
  5. Trust in God’s provision over earthly security

Why Do Earthly Treasures Create False Security?

Material possessions and worldly status provide an illusion of control and fulfillment. We see that illusion of control and fulfillment in these ways:

  1. They are temporary and can disappear instantly
  2. They are unable to provide lasting satisfaction
  3. They are not truly under our control
  4. They are incapable of protecting us from life’s real challenges

Life Application

This week, examine your relationship with possessions and wealth by asking:

  1. What things do I hold most tightly to and why?
  2. How willing am I to share what I have with others?
  3. Where do I find my true security – in merely material things or in God?
  4. What practical steps can I take to invest more in eternal treasures?

Challenge yourself to identify one possession or resource you can begin stewarding differently – perhaps by sharing it more freely or using it to benefit others in God’s kingdom.

Remember, true treasure isn’t found in what we own, but in how we use what God has entrusted to us for His purposes.