One of the most common goals people share is to build wealth and live comfortably. From a young age, we hear the same advice: do well in school, get a good job, and become successful. Many students even take on massive debt to attend prestigious colleges, hoping for higher-paying careers. We climb the career ladder and work to grow our net worth. We pour time and energy into building physical wealth, but how much effort do we put into building spiritual wealth?
One of my favorite Bible passages comes from the Gospel of Matthew: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” When we focus most of our energy on wealth, our hearts cling to selfish and worldly things. But when we focus on building our relationship with God, our hearts rest with Him.
This week’s Gospel tells the story of the wealthy man who prospered so much that he tore down his barns to build bigger ones. He believed he could finally live comfortably without worry. Yet he died that very night, and all his wealth stayed behind. Jesus isn’t saying wealth itself is bad; He’s warning us against focusing only on material gain.
We need to be rich in what matters to God. If we pour all our time and energy into building physical wealth, we’ll have nothing left in us for spiritual growth. I can always find time for entertainment, errands, chores, or even family. All those things are good, but my relationship with Jesus must come first. He deserves more than just the leftover five minutes of my day.
When we put God first, everything else falls into place. With Jesus close to us, we can more easily weather the storms of life. Our treasure truly is where our heart is, and my heart is with my Father.
