ByOne of the main reasons why people work is to make enough money to live a comfortable life. And I agree with it. Why? If you don’t work, God’s Word says you are not fit to eat (see 2 Thessalonians 3:10). However, food is not the only thing you ought to spend money on. You’ve got other expenses to cover too. But while doing all these things to live, many people subtly build a consciousness towards working to get material possessions as their primary goal in life. So they end up giving all their time and energy to earn money and leave God’s kingdom work aside. Hmm! Today, I want us to consider the question, “What does it mean to store up treasures in heaven for yourself?” as Jesus said in Matthew 6:20. Let’s dive in by first reading the scripture on which this article is centred.
[19] “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV)
Eternal life doesn’t consist of an abundance of possessions
Jesus said in Luke 12:15 that (eternal) life doesn’t consist of the abundance of possessions. He actually said that as a response to someone who wanted Him to share a family inheritance with the brother. Can you think about that for a moment?
As a believer, you must live with the consciousness that your life on this Earth is not all of it. There is life after death. And from Matthew 6:19, earthly treasures are susceptible to damage. In fact, businessmen who have lost huge contracts can attest to this. So, working solely to store up earthly treasures for yourself is dangerous. Whatever you have or get physically must be connected to purpose.
Whatever you have or get physically must be connected to purpose.
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Serve God
Scripture is clear in Revelation 22:12 that God will reward each man according to His work on Earth. Actually, this doesn’t include unbelievers because unbelievers will be condemned to hell upon the second coming of Christ unless they get saved. But for you as a believer, your service to God will attract a reward, whether small or big.
However, I’ve realised that the phrase “service to God” has been misinterpreted by many people. Some are of the view that serving God is all about serving in the Church or any ministry. Well, that is a half-truth because serving God goes beyond the walls of ministry or any church. It is actually about doing everything to glorify God, including eating, drinking water (see 1 Corinthians 10:31), and, of course, without any relation to sin. For example, if you take care of your body well, intending to honour the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is your body (see 1 Corinthians 3:16), that is also a service to God.
Your divine calling will describe how you’ll serve God. You may have been called to be a sound engineer, okay? Whatever you do at your workplace can be a service to God if you do it with the intention of serving Him and not just for money. Another person may also be called to be an architect. So, making building plans for people can also be a service to God. It all stems from how you think as you work. Colossians 3:23-24 (KJV) says,
[23] “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; [24] Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
Jesus is still building His church, and it is not only pastors that are needed to do that. Other fields of work by anointed believers are equally significant. For example, learning to become a programmer as a child of God is beneficial because you can use that knowledge to build great applications for the ministry and other businesses.
Nothing is a waste to God when you serve Him. And the more you serve, the greater your reward. That is what it means to store up treasures in heaven for yourself.
