Temporary Treasures

If you’ve ever played the game of Monopoly, then you’ve seen the various strategies people use to win. Some people buy every piece of property on the board and hope to put their opponents out of business. Others save up, hoping they’ll land on green or blue so they can buy up Boardwalk and Park Place and put hotels on them. They can make a lot of money that way.

But when the game ends, so do their winnings.

How accurate is the verse in Proverbs that says, “In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle” (23:5 nlt). It’s amazing how quickly finances can disappear.

We can’t take it with us, but we can send it on ahead. How? By investing in the work of the kingdom of God. In doing so, we’re storing treasures in Heaven.

Money is neither good nor evil. Money is neutral. The Bible doesn’t say that money is the root of evil. Here’s what it does say: “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10 NLT).

The problem isn’t money itself. The problem is the love of it. If money is the most important thing in our lives, then it will be the root of all kinds of evil in our lives. But if we can put it in the proper perspective, it can be a force for good to help and touch others.

And we honor God by bringing our offerings to Him.

The Bible says, “O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence” (1 Chronicles 16:28–29 NLT).

Jesus said that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 NLT). There is so much joy that we can experience in giving.

He also warned, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:19–21 NLT ).

Jesus didn’t say this because wealth might be lost. He said it because it always will be lost. In other words, we always will leave it behind. Either it leaves us while we’re living, or we leave it when we die. There are no exceptions. Whatever is valuable on earth will have no value in Heaven.

Is Jesus condemning those who are financially prosperous? No. Is He saying that it’s wrong to make and save money? Absolutely not. Rather, He’s saying that it’s wrong to put all our hope in temporary, earthly treasures and have nothing waiting for us in eternity.

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