For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21
Most of us realize how much money we spend on things that may not be all that important: streaming platforms and other entertainment, coffee, clothes, going out to eat. The list could go on, and we are sure you may not agree that these things are not necessary, but matched up to some other choices, you will see what we mean. How do they match up against saving for the future, blessing others with a special gift, investing in the life of a child somewhere who has next to nothing, or even investing in God’s kingdom? The first list is focused on you. The second list is focused on others.
How Do You Spend Your Time?
What about your time? Have you done the same kind of analysis of how you spend your time? Most of us probably go to church on Sunday and maybe spend some time each day reading the Bible and praying. Then, of course, there is time spent at school and/or work. Where do we spend the rest of our hours that we are awake? If we are honest with ourselves, I think most of us would find that this list also is very much focused on ourselves and our enjoyment.
We are not trying to say that all of this is bad, but maybe we are out of balance. The Bible says that where your treasure is (the things that you value above everything else), there your heart (your commitment, your time, your passion) is as well. The reverse is also true. Your heart is most invested in the things you treasure. Thinking about that and looking at the lists above, where are our hearts? For most of us, our hearts are focused on us. We are self-centered as opposed to other-centered or Kingdom-centered.
Finding Balance
Jesus talked about this during the sermon on the mount recorded in Matthew (chapters 5 through 7). In chapter 6, verses 19-34, he hits on this point exactly. “Don’t hoard treasure for yourself here on earth … don’t serve wealth … don’t worry about your life, but instead, make pursuing after the kingdom of God your priority, and all the other things will come along with it.”
Lay all of this before the Lord today. Consider your resources, including your time. How are you spending them? Where is your balance point? Which way is your teeter-totter tipped … toward you or toward the kingdom? Make the adjustments necessary to put God’s kingdom first. Center your heart of the things that really matter in both the physical world and the spiritual one.