This time of year “wants” and “needs” seem to blur. The question, “what do you want for Christmas?” Runs the gambit of nothing all the way to everything. “I want a ________.” Can be anything. Now the Bible does not say we can’t have things. What Jesus did say was, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth …” Another way of looking at it, stop focusing on accumulating money and things and set your heart pursuing “treasures in heaven.”
So what are “treasures in heaven”? The Bible refers to many ways Christians can store up “treasures in heaven” or “rewards,” including:
- Faithfully enduring persecution (Matthew 5:11-12; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 2 Timothy 4:8)
- Loving your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)
- Praying in secret (Matthew 6:5-6)
- Serving the Lord and his people (Matthew 10:41-42; 1 Corinthians 3:8; Hebrews 6:10)
Looking at these examples, one can see that “rewards” are also associated with living and loving like Jesus. Keep in mind on one hand, when the “world” is your desire, you’ll be committed to storing up “earthly treasures.” On the other hand, when Jesus is your treasure, you’ll devote your life to live for his glory and the good others.
Matthew 6:19-21 – “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.”