WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?
WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?
Another Easter is upon us! Let us remember it is the period when we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, from the dead. And there is more. Easter is the reason why we are Christians. Christ died. Yes. But He did not stay there; He rose again. We celebrate the King of all kings, our Lord, who lives and reigns forever. He is not buried in a grave that we have to visit from time to time. Noo! He is seated at the right hand of God the Father, even interceding for us. He is ALIVE!! When He rose from the dead, He had battled death “to death.” Because death could not hold Him bound. He had “rent the bars of iron assunder and broken the grates of brass.” When He rose from the dead, He came and made a way for us all.
But before Jesus left the earth He charged us thus: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6: 19 – 21 KJV. So where is your treasure trove?
We often say life is a school, (because therein are a lot of lessons learnt). But actually life is a lot of things. Lately I heard from Bishop T.D. Jakes that “Profit is what you have left when the transaction has been concluded.” And so I concluded that life could very well be a transaction. God created us to please Him. And when He calls us back home, we must be able to tell Him how we fared. God deposited something on the inside of every one of us. That is an investment and we are expected to multiply what was deposited in us and give good returns on the investment. In Matthew 25: 14 – 30 we see this when three servants were each given a certain measure of talent. Two of them made wise investments while the third did absolutely nothing. Instead he buried his talent in the ground. On the return of their master, the first two servants rendered their accounts and at the end of their transactions there was profit. The master was pleased with them, added more to them and asked them to enter into a joyful place with him. The third servant who did nothing was banished to a dark and dreary place.
Here is the thing then, let us suppose that when we eventually die and go to be with the Lord, a “transaction” (of life) has been completed. (Where He had sent us forth and then called us back home.) Let us also assume that whatever we laid up in heaven as treasures is our profit. So what exactly would that be? “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven!” Luke 12 :33a AMP Like seriously!? Well, I did not say this. Jesus did. However, God Himself is the one who gives power to get wealth. King Solomon also reminded us that money answers all things. So ain’t nothing wrong with having money. But what are you doing with it?
Some of us have invested so much here on earth, so much so that there is no treasure anywhere in heaven. And that is a crying shame! Our expensive metals cannot be converted to Heavenly treasures unless they are sold and the money given to the poor and the needy. This might sound crazy but the truth is we must find the balance somehow.. Our private jets and yachts cannot be uprooted to heaven to count for us there. Perhaps you have a chateau in the south of France, a villa on Emirates Hill in Dubai or an apartment in Monaco. That’s all grand. But they cannot relocate to heaven and count for us as treasures in Heavenly places because they can be stolen or broken into. What we keep and save for heaven is what goes there. Whatsoever we stash up down here, stays right here.
Think therefore of that sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross and plan to send some treasures up to heaven by doing as Jesus asked us to do. Sell stuff and give to the poor. It will please God. (Some of us need to seriously de-clutter anyway!!)
HAPPY EASTER!!
OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©