Jesus taught that we should “lay up” treasures in Heaven in the Sermon on the Mount, but he didn’t go on to explain what those treasures are. That may be explained by the fact that each of us are unique individuals with different pasts, influences, and experiences with God. When a Christian “abides in Christ”, he experiences the prompting of the Holy Spirit in ways that are appropriate for the moment. That Christian lays up treasure in heaven every time he obeys that prompting, rather than fulfilling the lust of his own flesh. Jesus said it when questioned by the Pharisees about his healing on the sabbath: “My father is working until now, and I am working“.
Why lay up treasure in heaven?
Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.…The point of where you lay up treasure isn’t what your eternal account balance is from day to day: It’s what each individual investment does to your walk today and every day. Don’t you see? These daily investments are intended to help you to be spiritual in our material world. Are you living your life for yourself, or for Christ? When you abide in Christ you’ll begin to “bear fruit”. Only those works will survive the testing fire of 1 Corinthians 3.11-15.
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you wake up each day? That thing or person or subject probably best defines who you are at the time. If it’s making money or getting fame or success at your job or in your business, then your treasure is in this world. The dilemma is that we all tend to invest our time working toward things that interest us. The more we invest in those things, the more interesting they become. It’s hard to choose what interests us, but easy to choose where to invest. We can invest in the Kingdom of God with prayer, Bible reading, giving selflessly, sharing Christ with others, etc. Make that choice each day, and pretty soon the first thing on your mind each morning will be the Lord and his Kingdom, rather than the shallow material pursuits of this world.
Ten ways to have treasure in heaven
- First, accept Christ as your savior if you have not
- Ask God to forgive your sins afresh every day
- Make whatever changes in your life that God has directed
- Tell someone that you’re a Christian man or woman
- Find a church where you’ll be fed
- Forgive someone who’s hurt you
- Commit each day or difficult situation to the Lord
- Choose Christian friends to spend time with
- Sell, give away or destroy an object that you put above God
- Learn to ignore your feelings when any of these is difficult