“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:21 (NIV)

I remember the first time I heard a sermon on this verse from Matthew. It was a heavy message to take in. The minister talked about how what we buy, what we value, and what we hold tight to ourselves is our “treasure.” And where our treasure is, is where our hearts are. He talked about things that cost money and things that don’t. Whatever we consider our treasures are what we put at the base of our hearts. Whatever we consider our treasures fill our hearts.

After listening to this sermon, I started looking around my home. What had I been spending my money on? Memorabilia from movies. Videos and DVDs. CDs. Shoes. Clothes. The biggest cable TV package. I did not like what I was seeing. I had put so much value in having stuff that was “worth something.” I had put so much value in having more of my favorite things than anyone else had. I wasn’t donating money to any causes on a regular basis. I wasn’t sharing my earnings with others unless it was through expensive gifts that “showed” someone how much I cared. I had put so much value in these things that I had increased the size of my debt, and decreased the size of my heart. At that time, I realized my treasure was with Visa and MasterCard – OUCH!

Obviously, that sermon really made an impact on me. My guess is that I had been present for that type of message in the past, but I wasn’t ready to really hear it. I am grateful that my ears and my heart finally opened to it. Since then, I have made some changes, sold some items that had put me into debt, and starting making monthly donations to charities that have helped to pave the way to my relationship with Jesus. I have started a savings account in which direct deposits go from my paycheck each month to pay for my schooling. And, I’m doing my best to pay down my credit cards.

This is not to say that I have perfected how I use my income. It is certainly not to say that my spending and giving habits are always done with a motive of love and selflessness. But, it has shown me the peace that comes with thinking of others before myself. It has shown me how many blessings God has bestowed on my life. It has shown me that the truest treasure in my life today is a heart filled with God’s Love.

How much is that new television set? We already have three in our home. Would that money be better spent at the grocery store, buying things I could give to the local food bank? I pray today that those questions enter my mind before my credit card slides through the machine.