Matthew 6:19-20 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.

Every so often it dawns on you how transitory the things of this earth are. We exhaust ourselves building homes or careers and accumulating stuff. All well and good, it is life and we are obligated to be productive while in the earth. However if we live long enough, there is the distinct possibility that at some point we will stand back and watch it all disintegrate, making it necessary to start over, sometimes from scratch.

Jesus’ teaching in these verses in Matthew 6 is to let us know that children of God need a sober and eternal perspective on possessions. Whatever you own are “kingdom” resources and you are the administrator. If you have gained your wealth by honest means, consider it a blessing from God but do not become so attached that if it disappears, your faith in God disappears with it.

A child of God is to be about his Father’s business and we are told that business is to “store up treasure in heaven.” How do we do that? Words from an old poem remind us: “only what’s done for Christ will last.” With that in mind, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to do with your money, time, talents and other abilities the things that please your Father. The greatest treasure in heaven will be the souls who learn about Jesus and come to know him because of what you do in the earth.  Remember too that the idea of rewards in heaven for service in the earth is biblical: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)