DAY 14 of #100daysofJesus - Where Is Your Treasure?

 

DAY 14 of #100daysofJesus

Jesus' teaching that "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" is recorded multiple times in the scriptures. Here, 'treasure' is symbolic for what matters most to you.

Your treasure may be manifest by your thoughts, words, and actions. Perhaps it is most clear by how you spend your time. For example, a father who spends his free time with his children likely treasures his family. If we're not careful, our jobs, favorite shows, or good hobbies can quickly become our treasure.

There are many good things in this world that are deserving of time and attention, including recreational pursuits, but the question I pose to myself and also to you is: where is your treasure?

Our treasure can also be financial, such as the pursuit of wealth for security, entertainment, or ease. Jesus warns, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal."

I don't believe Jesus is telling us not to prepare for a rainy day or prudently build a retirement nest egg. He is warning us of the danger of setting our hearts and focus on the things of this world, including money. These things are temporary (can't take it with you when you die!) and could be taken from us at any time. What value do they truly have when considered with an eternal perspective?

Jesus instead teaches, "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" and "seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Trusting in material possessions, such as money, can cause us to rely solely on ourselves instead of on God. It takes trust and faith to focus more on building God's kingdom than on building our own.

I like how Jacob teaches this truth in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. After telling the people to be "free with [their] substance" and avoid inequality, he declares:

"But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good - to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted."

Personally, I find that periodically asking myself this question "where is my treasure?" to be a good gut check. It often leads to introspection and course corrections.

Whatever it is we want in life, God is willing to help us get it, but we need to put Him and His kingdom FIRST. When we put God first, everything else falls into place!

(Today's references: Matthew 6:19-21, Luke 12:31-34, Jacob 2:17-19)