Where Is Your Treasure?

By: Melanie Moore

My family and I have been cleaning out my in-laws' home due to their recent move to full-time care. We have been working hard to clean out every nook and cranny of their home. We are stirring up a whirlwind of both dust and emotions as we dig through years of belongings. We have shed more tears than I can count -- some in laughter and some in sadness.

However, one thing has struck me as I sorted belongings -- my in-laws had many "things" but their treasure was never in the things. They were some of the most generous people I have ever met in my life, and their example has greatly impacted me.

I looked at a cookie sheet and remembered the hundreds of cookies my mother-in-law baked for everyone she loved! Neighbors, friends, family... I think I'm still carrying around close to ten pounds of extra body weight due to those delicious chocolate chip cookies.

I picked up the Bible that my father-in-law has carried for so many years. Even when dementia stole so much from him, he still quoted Bible verses from another deeper place in his heart. He has been a man of faith, compassion, and joy for so many years.

As I picked up my mother-in-law's "Sunday School Bag", I realized that she had taught children at church for over sixty years!

So much of our lives seem to be spent thinking about "things", especially in the age of influencers where online homes look picture perfect all the day. However, at the end of our lives, these things won't matter at all. What matters is what we did during our lives, and how we used the "things" in our lives to love others.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” - Matthew 6:21

While sorting through years of my in-laws' belongings, this verse kept coming to mind. I can say with upmost confidence that they were examples to me of how to use each possession in life to love and serve others. Their treasure and their hearts were always centered on God's kingdom. 

Am I living my life in the same way?

My challenge to each of us -- myself included -- is to think about the things in life and how we view them. I pray we will look at each possession in life through the lens of God and how we can love others.