Daily Scripture: Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and burglars break in and steal. 20 Instead, store up for yourselves wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and burglars do not break in or steal. 21 For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also. 22 ‘The eye is the lamp of the body.’ So if you have a ‘good eye’ [that is, if you are generous] your whole body will be full of light; 23 but if you have an ‘evil eye’ [if you are stingy] your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No one can be slave to two masters; for he will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You can’t be a slave to both God and money
Reflection Questions:
Jesus said that making the pursuit of wealth (no matter how you want to use it) the center of your life inevitably conflicts with loyalty to God. He stated the clear, common-sense principle that “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” and then pointedly added, “You cannot serve God and wealth.” Treasure in heaven, treasure by God’s standards, is the most precious item we can “collect.”
- Conduct a simple life audit. Review your calendar and your checkbook. Based on the time, energy and resources reflected in those two sources, what “master(s)” would you say you are serving? Can you see your loyalties shifting as you choose to invest in heavenly treasure? What kinds of changes could you make to give you greater freedom to fully serve God as Lord of your life?
- Pastor Rick Warren wrote, “If I put my money in my house, that is where my heart is. If I put my money in eating out, …if I put my money in my clothes, if I put my money into a hobby, that’s where my heart is. So the question becomes, where do you want your heart to be?” How do you answer—where do your choices of priorities tend to focus your heart’s affections?
Lord Jesus, calling you “Lord” isn’t just a nice, polite title. It means that you rule over my life and my priorities. Give me the courage and devotion to really mean it when I call you “Lord.” Amen.
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Evan Palmer has been a member of Resurrection since 2002. Evan graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in International Relations and worships at Resurrection’s Downtown campus.
In Matthew, as in all the Gospels, Jesus is addressing some of His first followers; He is interpreting God’s message for God’s people. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is seeking to teach those who are seeking to follow Him. In the verses we just read, He addresses the topic of money and possessions. For the longest time, it was a challenge for me to relate to these verses because I was convinced I didn’t have an issue with my finances. However, as I’ve studied deeper, I have grown to know that Jesus is speaking to something more than money.
We can relate the word ‘treasure’ to ‘status.’ In our culture, I see us chasing an identity of status through a variety of means (i.e. climbing the corporate ladder, relationships, or material things). This past weekend, I listened to a sermon where the preacher was speaking on the topic of identity. He challenged us to consider how we view ourselves. He asked questions like: Is it who you know? Is it what you know? Is it your address? Your body? Your education? What you’ve abstained from? He went on to say something I think we all can grow from: “How you see yourself determines how you see your need for God.” If we don’t see a need for God in our lives, why would we choose Him over ourselves? We are so busy serving our own selfish identities as a culture that we lose sight of what our hearts first desired.
How do we shift our focus from pleasing others and ourselves to pursuing a relationship with God? Jesus said to seek Him above everything else. This means before ourselves, before our jobs, before material goods, before the approval of others—you name it—Jesus is to be sought first. I find that I am able to best do this when I remember the words of a good friend and mentor from College. She strove to live her life for “an Audience of One.” The days my focus is on pleasing the Lord, instead of myself or others, are the richest and most fulfilling days. When we recognize what it is in life we are striving for, we are then able to understand our identity and refocus our priorities towards living for an Audience of One.
In Matthew, as in all the Gospels, Jesus is addressing some of His first followers; He is interpreting God’s message for God’s people. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is seeking to teach those who are seeking to follow Him. In the verses we just read, He addresses the topic of money and possessions. For the longest time, it was a challenge for me to relate to these verses because I was convinced I didn’t have an issue with my finances. However, as I’ve studied deeper, I have grown to know that Jesus is speaking to something more than money.
We can relate the word ‘treasure’ to ‘status.’ In our culture, I see us chasing an identity of status through a variety of means (i.e. climbing the corporate ladder, relationships, or material things). This past weekend, I listened to a sermon where the preacher was speaking on the topic of identity. He challenged us to consider how we view ourselves. He asked questions like: Is it who you know? Is it what you know? Is it your address? Your body? Your education? What you’ve abstained from? He went on to say something I think we all can grow from: “How you see yourself determines how you see your need for God.” If we don’t see a need for God in our lives, why would we choose Him over ourselves? We are so busy serving our own selfish identities as a culture that we lose sight of what our hearts first desired.
How do we shift our focus from pleasing others and ourselves to pursuing a relationship with God? Jesus said to seek Him above everything else. This means before ourselves, before our jobs, before material goods, before the approval of others—you name it—Jesus is to be sought first. I find that I am able to best do this when I remember the words of a good friend and mentor from College. She strove to live her life for “an Audience of One.” The days my focus is on pleasing the Lord, instead of myself or others, are the richest and most fulfilling days. When we recognize what it is in life we are striving for, we are then able to understand our identity and refocus our priorities towards living for an Audience of One.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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