WHERE IS YOUR TREASURY?

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV).

The recent happenings in the world are confirming the biblical injunctions about financial and material possessions. To invest in the capital market used to be a good advice for people until the recent economic meltdown when the values of many shares in the stock market dropped drastically. Landed properties have been more valuable and dependable investment because they do not depreciate but appreciate in value. However, happenings like Hurricane Katrina in the United States, the recent tsunami in some Asia countries and the not-too-long earthquake in Japan that rendered many people homeless and destroyed many landed properties are making people to think twice now also before investing in landed properties. Many people have been greatly disappointed by turns of events. Some (if not most) people are now thinking of the best way to invest or save their resources for future purposes.

The Bible clearly teaches in many places that one should not put one's trust in worldly possessions, but rather to be rich towards God (see Job 31:24; Psalm 39:6; 62:10; Proverbs 11:14; 16:16; 23:5; Ecclesiastes 2:26; 5:10-14; Luke 12:21; 18:24; 1 Timothy 6:8-10, 17; Hebrews 13:5; James 5:1-3; 1 John 2:15-16). The above quoted passage (Matthew 6:19-21) is succinct about what one's attitude towards worldly possessions should be and where one should keep them. Here, Jesus Christ was making it clear that a right attitude toward wealth is a mark of true spirituality. If one has the true righteousness of Christ in one's lives, then one will have a proper attitude toward material wealth. This does not mean that Jesus was magnifying poverty or criticizing the rightful acquisition of wealth. It is not wrong for one to possess worldly possessions, but it is wrong for these things to possess one. One should not make them one's utmost priority nor depend on them for future security and supply in time to come. The reason is that they are liable to loss and decay as that passage puts it and as it has been proven from recent happenings. Storing up for oneself treasures in heaven means making God the utmost priority and using one's resources for His cause and the benefits of humanity. Only resources used for God, other people and oneself in edifying and beneficial ways are saved for eternal dividends.

Where is your treasury? Where do you put your trust: in worldly possessions or God? What is your attitude towards worldly possessions? Do you see them as things that are temporal? Store up your resources in God and you will never regret you did.

In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).