Where your treasure is
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”Matthew 6:21
Reflection
Jesus reveals here a spiritual law of the human heart, and it is one of those truths that, once understood, changes how we see our own life: "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". Notice the order — the treasure comes first, and the heart follows it. That is, what you value most, where you invest your time, your money and your energy, that naturally attracts and captures your heart. It is not that you first love something and then invest in it; often it is the reverse: you invest, and the heart follows the investment.
This offers a revealing test to discover what really occupies your heart. Do not ask only "what do I say I love?" — ask "where do my time, my money and my thoughts go?". The honest answer reveals where your true treasure lies. It is possible to say God is life’s priority, but discover, on examining the agenda and the bank statement, that the treasure is somewhere else. The heart follows the investment — and the investment does not lie about what we truly value.
Jesus said this right after contrasting two kinds of treasure: "treasures upon earth", which moth and rust corrupt and thieves steal, and "treasures in heaven", which do not spoil or get lost (v. 19-20). The question is not that having material goods is wrong — it is that investing the heart ONLY in what is temporary and perishable is a bad eternal deal. Everything we accumulate on earth stays on earth; one day, moth, rust or simply death will take it all. But what we invest in God’s Kingdom — love, generosity, souls, obedience — is a treasure no loss can reach.
The good news of this law is that it also works the other way and in your favor: if you want your heart to be more in God, begin by INVESTING more in God. Dedicate time to Him, invest resources in the Kingdom, direct your thoughts to the things above — and your heart will follow that treasure. Many people wait to "feel" more love for God to then invest; Jesus teaches the reverse path: invest, and the heart will come. Where have you been placing your treasure lately? Do the honest examination today. And if you discover your heart walks far from God, perhaps the way back begins by changing where you invest. The heart always follows the treasure — so choose well where to keep yours.
Prayer
Lord, make me honest about where my true treasure lies — not what I say I value, but where my time, my money and my thoughts go. If my heart has walked far from You, help me invest more in what is eternal, knowing the heart follows the treasure. Teach me to store up in heaven, and not only on earth. Amen.
Put it into practice
Do the "treasure test": honestly examine where your time, money and thoughts go in a typical week — that reveals your real treasure. If you want to bring your heart nearer to God, choose ONE concrete investment in the Kingdom this week (time with Him, generosity, service).
To reflect on
If you honestly examined where your time, money and thoughts go, where would you discover your true treasure lies — and therefore your heart?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).