Keys the Treasure

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

• What do you most want to be investing your life in?

• What are you actually investing it in?

Your honest answer to these questions may be a surprise. Often we think that our treasure (our time, talents, energy, and money) follows our hearts and passions. But in the scripture above, Jesus suggested just the opposite – that whatever and wherever we invest our treasure, our hearts will follow after that.

Many of us feel a sense of tension about our lives and our finances. We want to give our lives to our church, our family, our God. Instead, our hearts follow our debts, our bills, our jobs, and often we don’t even realize it. We are left feeling stretched, conflicted, and empty.

As a result, what we often fail to consider is how much our view and use of treasure affects our heart. It’s true that “treasure” involves more than money. But money IS a big part of the problem in many of our lives. Whether we’re in plenty or in want, money has a direct connection to our stress level, our anxiety, and the health of our relationships.

It’s no wonder, then, that Jesus talked about the relationship between our treasure and our hearts. And because he cared so much about our hearts, he therefore talked about what we do with our treasure.

Consequently, each Sunday October 16-30, in a new worship series called “Keys to the Treasure,” we’ll explore Jesus’ teachings about treasure, and how a proper understanding and use of it can help us not only find security in an uncertain world, but can also unlock a vital relationship with God.

Then, at our combined, blended fifth Sunday worship service at 11:00am on October 30 (“Celebration Sunday”), we’ll have the chance to make personal investments of our God-provided treasure for the coming year through our church by the sharing of either a physical or online commitment. It’s my prayer that, at the end of these three weeks, we’ll all have a better awareness not only of what we invest our lives in, but also of how we can do a better job making God our ultimate treasure through our living and our giving.

Always remember that God loves you, and I do, too!