Jesus Is ALL FOR Storing Up Treasures

I write a lot about giving. I’m sure some people wish I wrote more about technical financial planning strategies, but I find that there’s a lot more content out there on planning strategies than giving, so I try to balance out the scales a bit. 

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But I’ve noticed an interesting perception towards giving — that many American Christians view it as losing something. After all, it is called “giving”, which implies something is leaving you. And while that is technically true, there is a subtle, yet profound nuance beneath the surface with giving that I feel compelled to share today. 

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Many people look to scriptures such as Luke 12:16-21 (Parable of the Rich Fool) or 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (impoverished sacrificial Macedonian church giving) to imply we shouldn’t store up treasures at all — that giving is only an exercise in asceticism ‍and self-denial. But if you look at Jesus teachings, He actually commands us to store up treasure – the key distinction though is where to store up our treasure. 

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Matthew 6: 19-21 NIV: 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [emphasis mine]

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Notice there is a negative (do not store up treasures on earth) AND a positive (store up for yourself treasures in heaven). In other words, Jesus is ALL FOR storing up treasures – but He knows that treasure left on earth is only temporary, so He commands us to make a wiser investment by storing up the treasure in heaven, where it will be the gift that keeps on giving for eternity. Giving is simply the smarter investment! 

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Many people think it’s bad to give for the sake of getting. But there’s Scriptural evidence for receiving rewards for giving [you think Paul endured all he did to get nothing in return?!]. And while there is a sacrificial component to giving (for our own heart’s sake and the ongoing fight against the flesh’s self-centeredness tendencies), giving is synonymous to reaping and sowing. Check out this parable of the Hidden Treasure and Pearl from Matthew 13:44-45 NIV: 

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44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

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Notice that the man gave away everything he had. But it didn’t end there…he didn’t end up emptyhanded. What did he get in return? He got the field that contains the most valuable treasure of all – the treasure that will last forever and that can’t be taken away. 

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Whatever treasures we store up on earth will be left behind when we die (Ecclesiastes 5:15, Psalm 49:16-20). Only the treasure that was sowed into heaven [via giving towards Kingdom purposes] will await us at our death and last forever [treasure in heaven]. 

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This introduces a profound biblical principle: “You can’t take any of it with you, but you can send it on ahead to last forever.”

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I recently had a conversation with a very wealthy family who has more money than they’ll ever reasonably need in their lifetime. I said something to the effect of: 

“Whether you like it or not, the truth is, if you don’t start releasing this money from your hands, someone else will do it for you” 

[I was implying the government will take it in the form of Estate taxes, or kids will inherit tens of millions and do whatever they desire with it]. 

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I’ve noticed that frugal people who slowly build wealth over time struggle with this concept. Their fear of not having enough leads them to accumulate more than they could ever come to spend, which means if they don’t start releasing some of the money [because they sure as heck won’t spend it all], someone else will decide for them how to use the money.

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Hate it or love it, the truth is that whatever treasure we store up on earth will eventually be left behind and whatever treasure we store up in heaven will be waiting for us when we get there. 

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I'll end by quoting martyr missionary Jim Elliot “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

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