Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said, ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.'

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

What do you count as your treasure? Is it your family or another loved one? Or perhaps your house? Or what? If you're honest where does your heart lie? Hold this thought in your mind as we think about this passage.

In Matthew Chapter 6, we get a real understanding of the relationship of the Christian to our heavenly Father. Jesus mentions "Father" eleven times as he explores our relationship to God as His children. Because of this we can go to God at any time. Unfortunately, things pull us away from this amazing relationship. One of these is wuhen we seek treasure in the world, looking to find comfort in earthly things. The question of "Where is your treasure?" is central to this whole section, for where our treasure is, there will be our heart.

We need to ask ourselves something difficult - are we earthly or heavenly minded? Are we investing in our future, or have we put all our efforts and energies into the here and now? Jesus gives three examples of what can happen to our treasure on earth. Put into modern idiom, moths can ruin beautiful fabric; rust can destroy a car after the winter salt is put on the road; and we can be scammed out of our money.

What is valuable to us shows where we are putting our heart, and Jesus calls us to re-evaluate our priorities, to repent, to remember we are God's children and that He wants us to have a much closer relationship with Him.

Heavenly Father,
You call us to re-evaluate our priorities,
and to remember that You call us to a
closer relationship with You as Your children.
May we examine our actions and our motives,
and be honest with ourselves and with You.
May we then invest more time in drawing closer to You.
Amen.