Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.

Yesterday, during the midst of announcement of all the shiny new Apple computers, a quote slid across my desk (via Twitter) that stopped me dead in my tracks. Tim Challies posted a quote from Tim Keller, and I don’t think the timing was accidental.

“Your money flows most effortlessly toward your heart’s greatest love.”

It is (I believe) a beautiful mediation on Matthew 6:21.

“…where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

These words of Christ are powerful. That seems like a no-brainer statement, but let’s think through a few of the implications. If you are having a hard time “connecting with God” or “feeling close” to him or in general having a hard time believing the Gospel, I urge you to take a look at your bank register. Two exercises are often very telling for me.

First, where do your expenses line up, percentage wise? How much money do you tend to spend on each category? How many of these categories benefit you directly? How many of them benefit others. The two aren’t always mutually exclusive, but you know what I mean.

Percentages aren’t the greatest measure, though. More telling would be a quick (or prolonged) reflection on each individual expenditure. How easy was it for you to part with your money in that circumstance? How easy was it to hand over the cash, write the check, or swipe the credit card?

Think on these things, and repent.

Here’s a bigger point though.

On reflecting on the Matthew 6 passage, something struck me. Probably not a new or exceptionally profound thought, but it hit me hard. Why is Christ concerned with our money here? Does heaven need cash? What’s going on?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

The point is this: Christ isn’t concerned primarily with our treasure, he is concerned with our heart. If your heart lies with the stuff of this world, it will be stolen and destroyed. You will die. If your heart is in heaven, which is evidenced (not determined) by how you use your money and possessions, it will be kept safe.