Where Your Heart Is

Published: Sept. 28, 2021, 6 a.m.

\u201cDo not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin 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).

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What do you treasure most in life?\xa0 Where is your heart most deeply invested?

It\u2019s no secret, I think, that Jesus spoke a lot about money.\xa0 What we do with the practical stuff of our lives like our bank accounts, loans, assets, and giving is the clearest indicator of our priorities.\xa0

A lot of us have aspirations of who we really want to be.\xa0 We want to be selfless, caring\u2014invested in our neighbours, in the world, and in the church.\xa0 The question, is does your bank statement reflect those priorities?\xa0 Does your calendar?\xa0 Because when the rubber hits the road: it is the spending of our time and money that declares what we really care about\u2014that declares where our heart really is.\xa0

Sure, there are things you have to do that fill those statements and calendars up.\xa0 Work, bills, daycare, school, groceries, whatever.\xa0 But what about your disposable income\u2014the stuff left over after the necessities are paid for?\xa0 Or the time you have that isn\u2019t given to work, school, or grocery shopping?\xa0 Where does that stuff go?\xa0 Think about that for a moment\u2026

And then think about something else.\xa0 Because actually, to draw on yesterday\u2019s devotion, it\u2019s not just about what we do with the stuff that\u2019s leftover\u2014our disposable time and income\u2014it\u2019s also about what we do with the time and money spent on the first things of life.\xa0 It\u2019s about our work, our school, our home, clothes, groceries, and retirement savings.\xa0

How do we truly love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, our whole selves\u2014our family selves, our working or studying selves, our free-time selves, etc.?\xa0 \xa0\xa0

There\u2019s a lovely quote from Annie Dillard that goes like this: She says, \u201chow we spend our days is how we spend our lives. What we are doing with this hour and with that one is what we are doing.\u201d\xa0 \xa0We could say the same thing about how we spend our dollars.\xa0 If screen time, shopping dollars, and working or studying to keep up or achieve a particular lifestyle is how we\u2019ve invested our dollars and hours, that, friends, is where our heart and treasure is.\xa0 I tell you the truth, we have received our reward in full.

Jesus tells us immediately after these verses not to worry about clothes, food, and shelter.\xa0 Instead, he says, \u201cSeek first [God\u2019s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.\u201d\xa0

So, what do your calendar and bank statements tell you about what you\u2019re seeking first?\xa0 To what or who have you entrusted your heart and treasure?\xa0 Who or what do you trust for your provision when it comes to life\u2019s necessities?\xa0

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