Matthew 6:19,20 (Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.)

Luke 12:15 (And he said unto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.)

Unfortunately, many wealthy people in the church do not understand the true purpose of their resources because they have not grasped why God has made them His stewards.

Whatever gifts are entrusted to us do not belong to us. We came into the world with nothing, and we shall leave with nothing. Only what we send ahead to heaven will remain ours forever.

The true purpose of earthly treasure is to secure eternal treasure. If many had understood this, they would not have spent their wealth on things that have no lasting value.

A natural man seeks to preserve his wealth for his children and grandchildren, but a spiritual man desires to invest it in eternal purposes while also using it for the spiritual welfare of his generation.

Natural men build houses in every city and in every corner of the world to preserve a legacy for future generations. Yet they do not know who will come after them, whether a wise son or a foolish one who will not appreciate their value.

Some keep their wealth in banks and financial institutions, but when they die, others who never laboured for it enjoy the benefit, sometimes after they had denied even their own families access to it.

Whatever happens to your earthly possessions is vanity upon vanity. But a spiritual man knows where to keep his treasure for safekeeping, where neither moth nor rust can corrupt it, and where neither physical nor spiritual thieves can locate or steal it.

He sends it ahead to heaven so that when he departs this life, he will meet it there untouched. He understands that his time on earth is limited and is preparing for his heavenly home.

If he keeps everything here on earth, how will he enjoy eternal rewards, especially when his property is rusting away or being sold by irresponsible family members after his departure?

Jesus told one of the rulers to sell all that he had and give to the poor. He loved the man and showed him the only way to keep his treasure forever.

Life is a mystery. Whatever you give away for God’s sake remains yours forever, but whatever you keep for yourself will eventually become another person’s possession when you are gone. What you send ahead to heaven, however, will remain intact.

Some Christians have glorious homes in heaven even though they lived simply on earth. Abraham lived in tents throughout his life. Had he built great houses for himself, they would have disappeared long ago. Even before his grandchildren went into slavery in Egypt, others would have occupied them, and everything would have become vanity.

This reminds us that nothing in this world is permanent. What you give to the poor becomes an eternal investment, and you will reap its reward when you enter eternity.

Some have invested their time, prayers, and earthly resources in making others happy, even when those they helped never appreciated them. Whatever is done in secret shall be rewarded openly. They did it for Jesus Christ, and He will be their Rewarder both in this world and in the world to come.

We look at some people as though they are poor, not knowing that they may be the richest people on earth, depending on what they have sent ahead to heaven.

The way Jesus Christ sees a person is different from the way the world does. Jesus sees potential and eternal value, but men see only the outward appearance, asking how many possessions a person has stored up for himself. God measures us the way Jesus sees us, not the way the world sees us.

…to be continued.

Prayer: Father, give me the wisdom to live in this world for Your glory alone, in Jesus’ name. Amen.