Matthew 6:19-34
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:19-34
Personally this is a challenging passage for me. The material, anxiousness, expectation, etc. are addressed directly in this passage. I am a rule follower and desire to excel and live life well. I have a deep desire to do good and have resources at my disposal to use.
This is a passage I know I must pray through and stay close to or I will derail. It would be very easy for me to become blinded by praise and success. I like nice things. I like the praise from others and positive perception my life and my family might reflect to others.
Here is the convection and as a result the direction Jesus’ teaching provides. There is nothing wrong with things. There is nothing wrong with the purchase or the pursuit of a quality item. There is nothing wrong with a desire or draw toward personal safety, comfort, or resourceful security. The key is the central motive.
Jesus is clear He is to be central in life. I believe to be a faithful Christ follower is to be of great wealth and resource. However, we must understand that what this wealth and resource looks like is not what the world would assume. The wealth and resource of a Disciple of Christ begins with God’s grace. It is in His grace a person can begin to see and truly experience freedom in Christ. This is a freedom from conviction and self support. It is a freedom to openly work, pursue, provide, and give. It is a freedom serving a greater purpose than one’s endless personal desires.
God knows what we need and I believe He desires to bless us but only to the degree that is loving for us and impactful for His Kingdom. This is why Jesus provides for us a clear path to consider. The seeking of God’s Kingdom verses ours.
I challenge you to consider your financial and emotional portfolio. Where is your treasure? Where or what are the things that would hurt you deeply not to physically have? Spend some time in prayer asking Jesus for freedom and excitement of the opportunity He provides to pursue the things of God verses the things of man.
