Treasure in Heaven

"Do not accumulate treasures for yourself on earth." (Matthew 6:19)

Whether in this life or in the next, we will have the experience of everything we have worked for in this world being taken from us. We will be left with nothing but our treasure in heaven.

What is this heavenly treasure?

I'm sure you already know--the good heart we have cultivated, the relationships we have nurtured--our honesty and kindness and responsibility and faithfulness. All the ways God is reflected in our lives--this is the treasure we can keep forever.

Jesus has heavenly treasure and shares it. That is probably the best thing about heavenly treasure--when you have it, you can give it away freely without losing it.

It does not seem to me that Jesus despises the things of the world--he himself was a carpenter and worked for money and provided for his family. He sees some value in the world and its ways. But he knows it is something outside this world that is the real source of his security.

When I read about Jesus, I recognize that he is different from other people. Part of this difference is that he is willing to lose all the things this world offers--reputation, respect, even physical safety--for the sake of his continued close relationship with his Father.

And strangely, in giving up the world, Jesus inherits the earth. All the things around us belong to the Father, and as a faithful child, Jesus is heir to them. As faithful children of our Father, we too can inherit the earth.

We are told--start a side hustle to make more money. But how about this instead?--start a side hustle to heap up treasure in heaven.