Where is Your Treasure?

Besides food and clothing, the number one concern that people have had throughout history and it seems even more so today is money. They say money makes the world go around. Even the Golden Rule has changed to “He who has the gold makes the rules”. Money has become a god in our world and so been for quite some time with even Jesus speaking of it in Matthew 6:24. As believers and followers of Christ what should be our view of it and to what importance should we place on money? If being a Christian and having money should we make our outward appearance show that we have it? And if we do not have much, should we strive to become rich? Above all how does God view money that so many have strived to obtain and horde up on our world?

In Luke 6:24-26 Jesus gives a warning concerning the rich and those that have a lot. We find in Matthew 6:19-23 the dangers of striving to obtain riches and not putting God first in our lives. The effects of money on people’s lives have caused more pain then joy. Many have stressed so much over that it has cause health issues; others have committed suicide because of it. As the saying goes, the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. It’s not money itself but the LOVE of it or the strong desire to have a lot of it as if that will take care of all the problems in your life.

If we are supposed to trust in the Lord then we should be focusing on God’s Kingdom and putting Him first. Matthew 6:25-34 as well Luke 12:22-34 we find that God will provide us with what we NEED if we are willing to put Him first. It is foolishness to God those that try so hard to be rich as we see in Luke 12:16-21. Even Jesus compares Solomon’s rich to being less than the Lilies in Luke 12:27. The view in which both God and His son Jesus have on money and riches is what we are to have as well and do not be afraid to ask for things that are of NEED from God as mentioned in Matthew 7:7-11. I think what people have trouble with is asking for things they WANT and not what they NEED.

Even Jesus’ own disciples’ had problems when it came to money as you will see when you read Matthew 19:16-26 and Luke 18:18-27. After Jesus gives the parable what is the disciple’s response to it? In Matthew 19:25 the disciples are pretty much in shock because then say “Who then can be saved?” We know one of the twelve was extremely greedy to the point of betrayal, but the others as well had to had ideas or hopes of becoming well off. If they had no inclination towards being possibly wealthy then their response would have been different. This shows us that like ourselves they too had issues to overcome and we know that they were able to overcome that problem when they put fully their trust in the Lord.

We should never be afraid of money and avoid it like some plague from the devil, but at the same time we need to have a healthy view of it. Jesus warns us of the over indulgence of money and the influences it has on people. In both Mark 4:7, 18-19 and Luke 8:14 Jesus is warning that such things as riches can choke out our spiritual relationship with God to the point where it dies.

Let us stockpile our riches in heaven so that our hearts are focused upon the Kingdom of God and be content with what God gives us through blessings, knowing what we NEED down here.

There are many scriptures that warn about riches and their placement in our lives. Here are just a few more, but from the Old Testament. Proverbs 10:22; 11:4; 13:7 and 28:20, 22.