One way to understand who or what someone worships is to take inventory of what is most important to them. If they are most concerned about financial wealth, then money and the things that can be purchased with money are what they worship. If they value what the people around them think about them the most, they worship their reputations. If they value work to the extreme that work takes precedence over family and even their faith, then their career has become what they worship. Worshiping these false gods always leaves us empty because they were never meant to become objects of our worship. Only God is worthy of our worship, and we must put Him above anything else in our lives.
Jesus revealed that the things we treasure the most reveal the idols in our lives in Matthew 6. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus was teaching a large crowd of people when He said, “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" (verses 19-20). This teaching from Jesus is very logical. After all, the things here on Earth decay day by day. They will not last. The things of heaven, however, will last forever. As a result, why wouldn’t we store up treasures in heaven that will last. Jesus concluded this teaching by saying, “Where your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (verse 21). The things we worship, treasure, and value reveal what has captured our hearts. The question is, what do we value most? Do we value the things of the earth or the things of God that will last forever?
What about you? What things have captured your heart? Are you consumed by earthly things that will ultimately fade away, or are you consumed by God and His Kingdom, which will have no end? I urge you, my friend, to focus solely on Christ and His Kingdom today. Set your mind and heart directly on Him.
Write out Matthew 6:19-20 three times. As you write the words in this passage of Scripture, reflect on the teaching of Jesus in this passage of Scripture. Commit to live a life storing up treasures in heaven, not on earth. Ask God to help you as you seek to do this.
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
