Temporal Vs Eternal Treasure

What we put effort and interest into, we value - it's a sociological principle. We throw a lot of cash into our homes and cars. Consequently, we are concerned and sometimes consumed with the beautification and welfare of those possessions. But what about individuals who rent their homes? A renter has nothing invested in the property, except the monthly fee; no incentive to pamper it or invest in its upkeep. The renter has a different perspective, and because of it, he or she invests elsewhere.

This investment principle has both an earthly and a spiritual application. It's better explained in the following passage of scripture.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Luke 12:34 NLT)

The heart follows the treasure. If we look at our credit card statement or our check register, we see a list of our priorities and what we value. The list tells of club membership fees, entertainment expenses, educational expenses, or charitable giving. What we value and to what extent, is indicated by our investments.

We naturally throw dollars at that which we value, and in the process our heart values the investment as well.

The treasure follows the heart. If we give faithfully to a church, we value the leadership and mission of that church. We get excited over our investments and what will become of them. What's more, when we desire that our investments be of heavenly value, we strategically invest in heavenly treasure. We realize that earthly possessions are not long-lived. Only that which is eternal has lasting value.

The way we live and the way we give, establishes our treasure and determines if it is of temporal or eternal value.

This means we have the opportunity to pull our heart into the direction of our investments. Not only do eternal investments have lasting value, but they also have the power to direct our attention and focus. When we invest in ways that bless God and benefit others, our heart follows the investment and we make it priority. The investment determines our perspective. It also identifies our master.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Luke 16:13 NIV)

We can't faithfully commit to a life of possessions and money and expect to serve God faithfully. Our heart follows the money. But if we serve God faithfully, we value what He values, we invest in what He values, and our heart follows those investments.

Where does this kingdom principle fit in our priorities? Consider the slave and his master. The slave can only serve one master at a time. He can't be split in half. Neither can we. We must decide which master to serve, because that master will require our money, our time, our dreams, and our attention. It's one master or the other--not both.

How can we know if money is our master? We can know by the way we answer these money questions.

1. How do we make our money and where does it come from?
2. Do we devalue anyone or sacrifice anything eternal to obtain it?
3. How much time do we spend earning or managing it?
4. Are we investing the money in ways that honor God and benefit others?

How can we know if God is our master? Let's look at that first passage again, using a different Bible version that spells it out for us.

Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can't go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. (Luke 12:34 The Message)

Since there are no safe investments on earth, what matters is what's left when this life is over. We can take nothing with us, but we can pay it forward. Having an eternal perspective and treasure mounting up in heaven, plants our heart where our treasure is, keeps investment flowing that way, and impacts the way we live.