During this season in our life together, we are reflecting on Jesus’ words in Matthew 6, “… where you treasure is, there your heart is also.”
In Jewish practice, building your treasure in heaven rather than on earth, is directly tied to the practice of giving alms- on helping those in need. In Jewish practice, building up treasure in heaven rather than on earth was closely connected to giving alms—generously sharing with those in need. In other words, one way people understood themselves to be storing up treasure in heaven was through the tangible ways they cared for others.
Our giving can take many forms.
We can give of our talents. God has given each of us skills and abilities and we can use them to do Kindom-building work.
We can give our time. Many times, we forget how simply giving our time to listen to someone, make a call, send a card, or sit with someone makes a bigger difference than we realize.
We can give our finances. We can give to the church, or other organizations, that are doing God’s good and holy work to help those in need. I cannot stress enough how much even small offerings make a difference in our church’s Ministry Plan and how filling out the Estimate of Giving Card helps your Council make plans for the coming year. Every card, no matter how big or small, goes into the planning process.
In this season, we aren't simply asking people to give more to the church. We are inviting people to consider what they treasure, what they invest in, and what kind of people they are becoming.
When we give, we are told to do so with generous hearts. One of the most helpful definitions I’ve encountered comes from Christian Smith. I shared this last year, but it is worth sharing it again.
“Generosity is the virtue of giving good things to others freely and abundantly… It is not a haphazard behavior but a basic orientation to life. What generosity gives can vary: money, possessions, time, attention, aid, encouragement, and more, but it always intends to enhance the true wellbeing of the receiver.”
This definition reminds us that generosity is not simply about writing a check or donating items we no longer need. It is about giving good things in intentional ways to help the wellbeing of the receiver. It also involves our whole selves—our attitudes, our intentions, and our actions. Generosity is a posture of the heart.
Where we give our precious resources reflects what we treasure and where our hearts are drawn. When we invest our time, talents, and finances in things that serve only ourselves, our world becomes smaller. But when we give generously to the work of God's Kindom, our lives become part of something bigger than ourselves. We become a reflection of God's love, compassion, and grace in the world.
And while we do not give in order to be seen or receive praise, our generosity can make God's love visible to others. Every act of kindness, every moment spent listening, every gift shared, and every resource offered has the potential to make someone's life a little better and our community a little stronger.
Perhaps that is what Jesus is inviting us to consider when he says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." What if we approached generosity not simply as something we do, but as a way of living? What if we intentionally placed our time, our talents, and our resources where we want our hearts to grow?
Isn't that our goal as people of faith? To build a life that reflects God's love, to invest in the things that matter to God, and to leave a little more goodness, hope, and grace in the world than we found?
Together, may we build lives that reflect what we treasure, and may what we treasure always be rooted in God's love.
