Treasures That Truly Matter

By Dean Collins

When I read scripture I often have a lot of questions. Some of them are mostly curiosity questions that would be interesting to know but really don’t change anything about my life or my daily decisions. I imagine you have some of these kinds of questions as well. They might pertain to why God did something a certain way versus another. They might have to do with individual characters and what they were thinking or how similar or different than you they were when they faced their challenges.

 But every time I read the Sermon on the Mount, my questions have more to do with me than with God or others. In chapter 6 Jesus said not to lay up treasures for yourself on earth. So, I have to ask myself, “When do I have enough?” And eventually, “What am I going to do with all this stuff?” 

How many of us have a garage full, an attic full, a storage unit full of stuff that we don’t need and wonder how we are going to get rid of it all? It may not be gold bars we have stored away, but at some point in time we were just sure we needed it and kept it just in case we needed it again. 

You don’t have to be wealthy to have this accumulation problem. And I have had more than a few conversations with wealthy friends who struggle to keep up with their multiple properties, boats, cars, etc. Maybe the kids will want it and maybe they won’t. There is certainly nothing wrong with having these assets, but there is a time where one must truly wrestle with the question of “when do I have enough?” And, “would my calling or mission as a believer be different if I didn’t have so much?”

Just after Jesus spoke about the dangers of accumulating more than is needed, he brought up anxiety. That probably isn’t by accident. It is easy to have anxiety if we have a lot, just as it is if we don’t have much of anything. Jesus quickly points out what Moses knew and what Paul would later say: we are God’s treasured possession. As his image bearers, wouldn’t we also want to treasure people and relationships much more than our stuff? Yet, how often does our stuff rob us of time to invest in the people we love, as well as the people whom God created in his image?

Sooner or later, we will have to answer these questions, and how we answer will likely change our relationships with others.

Jesus said it better than I could ever say.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

 That’s not a question; it is a promise. We just have to decide whether we question it or simply follow it to discover the conclusion that is promised.

Father, we marvel at the fact that we are your treasured possessions. Thank you for the clear and sometimes hard teachings of Jesus. Give us courage to follow you daily. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Matthew 6:19-34; Deuteronomy 26:17-19; Ephesians 2:10 ESV

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