Luke 12:34 - Where Is Your Treasure?
Luke 12:34 - Where Is Your Treasure?
Luke 12:34 (NIV) For where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also.
What you value most is your treasure. Where you spend your
time and your money is your treasure. Whatever dominates your
conversation is what you treasure. What others know you for is a good
indication of what your treasure is.
Most Christians are quick to claim that God is their first
priority. Yet often their actions reveal that their treasure is not God
but things of this world. Some Christians find it difficult to
discuss their relationship with God, but they can chatter easily about
their family, friends, or hobbies. Some find it impossible to rise
early in order to spend time with God, but they willingly get up at
dawn to pursue a hobby. Some find it difficult to give an offering to
God but readily spend lavishly on recreation. Some boldly approach
strangers to sell a product, yet they are painfully timid in telling
others about their Savior. Some give hundreds of hours to serve in
volunteer organizations but feel they have no time available to serve God.
If you are unsure of where your treasure is, examine where you
spend your available time and money. Reflect on what it is you most
enjoy thinking about and discussing. Ask your friends to tell you what
they think is most important to you. Ask your children to list the
things most valuable to you. It may surprise you to know what others
consider to be your treasure. [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and
Richard Blackaby re Luke 12:34]
"Bend all your life to obeying God's will and rest content with
that. So many people give all their effort to heap up things which in
their very nature cannot last. Work for the things which last forever,
things which you need not leave behind when you leave this earth, but
which you can take with you." [Barclay Commentary]
True wealth is possessing a relationship with the King. Seeking
the kingdom of God means making Jesus the Lord and King of your
life. He must control every area - your work, play, plans,
relationships, etc. Is the kingdom only one of your many concerns, or is it
central to all you do? Are you holding back any areas of your life from
God's control? As Lord and Creator, he wants to help provide what you
need as well as guide how you use what he provides. [Life Application
SB]
True wealth is the opposite of the wealth that the world values.
Jesus says that the good life has nothing to do with being wealthy, so
be on guard against greed (desire for what we don't have). This is
the exact opposite of what society usually says. Advertisers spend
millions of dollars to entice us to think that if we buy more and more of
their products, we will be happier, more fulfilled, more comfortable.
How do you respond to the constant pressure to buy? Learn to tune
out expensive enticements and concentrate instead on the truly good
life - living in a relationship with God and doing his work. [Life
Application SB]
True wealth is part of heaven - earthly wealth is not. The rich
man in Jesus' story died before he could begin to use what was
stored in his big barns. Planning for retirement - preparing for life
before death - is wise, but neglecting life after death is disastrous.
If you accumulate wealth only to enrich yourself, with no concern
for helping others, you will enter eternity empty-handed. [Life
Application SB]
True wealth is measured in part by how we use material wealth to
benefit others. Money seen as an end in itself quickly traps us and cuts
us off from both God and the needy. The key to using money wisely
is to see how much we can use for God's purposes, not how much we
can accumulate for ourselves. Does God's love touch your wallet?
Does your money free you to help others? If so, you are storing up
lasting treasures in heaven. If your financial goals and possessions
hinder you from giving generously, loving others, or serving God, sell
what you must to bring your life into perspective. [Life Application
SB]
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