Where your treasure is...

I have two very full pages of notes from church this morning. This week was part two on a sermon series my church is doing about money. When I first heard about this series, I thought to myself that it couldn't possibly relate to me much, after all, I am about to become a poor college student. But today I realized that it doesn't matter where you are financially, God loves a cheerful giver. That also doesn't necessarily mean a giver of money, it could be a giver of encouragement, a giver of your time, a giver of anything really; in this particular matter, however, it does mean you money. Here's what I got.
-taye

...Your heart will be also

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
{Matthew 6:19-21}

Especially in America today, we tend to idolize money and the things that we can buy with it. No wonder Jesus spoke more about money than He did on heaven and hell combined during His time on earth.

"And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' "
{Mark 10:21}

"So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple."
{Luke 14:33}

"And He said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.' "
{Luke 12:15}

There is the story of the widow who gave two fractions of a penny, what would be considered by most to be worth nothing, and yet, Jesus blessed her for her giving. Therefore, it is not that you do things, but how you do them; it is not the amount you give, but the heart with which you give.

In light of that, there are some things in my life that need to change:

     I need to change the destination of my money.
Where is my money going? Are the things I'm spending my money on benefiting me or benefiting God and the gospel proclaimed? If I took a look at my bank statement from my debit card, what would pop up the most? Easy answer, Starbucks Coffee. I spend a lot of money on Starbucks. But where else is popping up? I give my tithe every month, but is there more frequent spending that is benefiting God and the gospel proclaimed? Is it as frequent, or more frequent than, my Starbucks purchases? What is it for you: clothing stores, hardware stores, grocery stores, or online stores? Whatever it is, even if you do not decrease your spending there, increase your spending that will benefit God's kingdom. Be intentional about where you are storing up your treasures-- this earth or in heaven? Money in itself is not bad, but it is what we do with it that either glorifies God or it doesn't.

Think about it. That skinny vanilla latte I bought will be gone in about ten minutes. That sweater you bought the other day will get a hole in it, or you will outgrow it, someday. That expensive car you bought last week could be wrecked at any moment that it's being driven. Robbers could come and steal your plasma TV while you are gone to the beach this summer. Everything on this earth is temporary. Even we are temporary. Most people only live to be an average of 80 years old; I am 18. That means I have an average of about 62 more years on this earth, and then my time is done, my possessions will be passed down or sold, and everything I called my own on this earth will no longer be mine. Therefore, we should be thinking eternal when it comes to our money. Think of the long-term effects your money and what you spend it on can have, and use it wisely and for the best for others, not just how it can benefit you.