Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
When we obey God and apply His principles, we receive incomparable blessings. I clearly remember the time the Lord said to me, “I am the all-sufficient God; I have need of nothing, but the need to give.” I was awestruck after hearing this in my spirit. It seemed like severe error at best and blasphemy at worst. After searching my heart and conferring with a trusted brother, I began to look at the Scriptures with a keen eye. It was all over the place: God is the pattern giver.
The first six chapters of Matthew are replete with direct and indirect references to giving. Jesus, as the pattern giver, teaches His disciples Kingdom principles regarding, giving. In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jesus wants all who apprehend His message to lay up treasures in heaven because He knows that where one’s treasure is, there his heart will be also. This is simple, yet so rich with thought-provoking clarity: “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 7:31 that “this world is passing away.” Jesus does not want us to put our investments in what is passing away, but to place our hope in what is eternal.
Many of us unreservedly give time and resources to the Kingdom of God. This is not a waste! Jesus sees this as an investment in eternity! This investment will not fail, nor will there ever be a market crash because Jesus our Savior, Redeemer, and Deliverer holds all things together in Himself! He can never fail!
The mindset of giving comes from Christ. We cannot possess such an attitude without His Spirit indwelling us. I encourage you to be givers. The Scripture says, “give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over” (Luke 6:38). Again, I say to you, give of yourselves to the Kingdom of God.
In the parable about workers in the vineyard, Jesus quotes the owner of the vineyard as saying “go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you” (Matthew 20:4). Our just, righteous God will repay us for our work in His vineyard (Kingdom). We must give ourselves completely to Him, liberally, out of all of our resources into His Kingdom while there is still time!