Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). So what is our treasure? A. W. Tozer suggested we may discover the answer by responding to four basic questions:
What do we value most?
What would we most hate to lose?
What do our thoughts turn to most frequently when we are free to think of what we will?
What affords us the greatest pleasure?
Based on your answers to these four questions, what’s your treasure?
Many would list people and relationships as their treasures. Other than Jesus, the greatest treasure I’ve ever had on Earth is Nanci. Because Jesus is in Heaven, and He is my greatest treasure, my heart has long been there. But with Nanci also there, my heart and mind are often in that other place. I’m encouraged by the command, “Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1-2).
I often think of all the people from all over the world Nanci has been meeting and getting to know and love—those we had the privilege of helping through our giving, and who thereby received the gospel, food, clothes, clean water, medicines, Bibles, and good books. Sometimes I feel like part of me went to Heaven with Nanci. That’s not only because of our deep love for each other, but because she and I partnered together to invest in people for eternity. I so look forward not only to seeing old friends but to having Nanci introduce me to these new friends we invested in before we ever met them!
In this clip from my interview on the Finish Line Podcast, I discuss how relationships with others that result from our giving are part of our reward, both now and in Heaven:
Here are some thoughts related to Luke 16 and what I shared in the audio clip:
Christ’s parable of the shrewd manager, often called the “unrighteous steward,” is a powerful revelation about the eternal consequences of what we do with our money while on Earth. The parable concerns a wealthy owner who fires his business manager for wasting his assets (see Luke 16:1-13). During the brief period before his termination is effective, the steward goes to his master’s debtors and reduces their debt, thereby engendering their friendship and qualifying for their hospitality.
