I'm going to spend the next few days unpacking Matthew 6:19-24 in preparation for a message/sermon/talk I'm giving at Loyola on Tuesday on our calling. Some of this came out of a study we did in our house group, so a tip of my hat to anyone who contributed thoughts that evening.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust 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

Since I don't know how to wire-transfer my money to Heaven, I want to explore the here and now applications of this passage. When I see Heaven in the Bible, I associate it with Heavenly things: God, Jesus, freedom, life and hope. And despite the whole earth being filled with God's glory, I see this world, earth, as a place that is not inherently free and not inherently filled with life and hope, at least not yet. So I don't think it's a stretch to substitute those thoughts here - store up for yourselves treasures in God, Jesus, freedom, life and hope, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in an steal.

What are our treasures? Money, to be certain, is a treasure we possess. I can put my money into Heaven on Earth, by giving generously and spending/saving wisely. But I don't think money is the only treasure we possess. If God provides my money, then my treasures are the things that God provides - my gifts, my talents, my energy, ability, creativity and my life. Who God made me to be is a treasure. If we reach back into the 'called' study, then my calling, the feast God is inviting me to, is my treasure.

Jesus is telling us to put the things we do, the way we act, what we are becoming into Heavenly things: Things that bring life, freedom and hope, things that show others who God is, things that make us more like Jesus. We should be willing to protect these things from thieves that steal.

So I need to ask myself some questions:

What things steal me away from becoming who God made me to be?

What things cause the way I want to live to decay and rust?

Am I willing to protect myself from these things?

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

When I've given my money away, I've watched my heart follow. When I've horded money for myself, I've watched my heart be filled with the need for more money, more stuff (I'll unpack that idea more fully in the next post). The same should follow then that if I fill my life with things that make me more like Jesus, things that put me in tune with my calling, my heart will follow.

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