Storing Treasures

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

Jesus teaches about the orientation we must endeavor to achieve, directing our hearts toward the things of heaven, rather than worldly possessions and desires. He speaks of moths, rust and thieves as threats to the material goods we strive to attain. Of course, Jesus is also addressing more broadly the many agents ready and waiting to erode the worldly wealth we are so inclined to try and possess.  

I am inclined to be a saver, or as we sometimes joke, an “archivist,” following in the footsteps of my parents and grandparents. My more minimalist adult children often respond with a polite “no thank you” when I offer “treasures” that I see as important elements of the history of our family. Their arguably more scriptural perspective prompts me to contemplate how I might direct my heart more faithfully in sharing the worldly possessions—from financial assets to antique china—with which I have been endowed. This is especially true during the season of stewardship.  

The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it another way: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” 

Prayer: Heavenly Creator, thank you for the many ways you care for us as we navigate this physical world. We ask for your direction in turning our hearts toward heaven. Guide us in using and sharing the worldly possessions for which we are responsible in ways that bring glory to you and your light to those we encounter. Amen 

Barry and Alinda Stelk (reprinted from 2017)