Store Up Treasure by Giving It Away

In 1 Timothy 6:18-19 it says, “Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven—it is the only safe investment for eternity!” (TLB)

My generous giving is a premise to one of God’s generous promises. He promises that when I give, I’m not really losing anything. God is actually storing it up in heaven.

I know that God has a bank account for me in heaven because Jesus mentioned it five times— and if God mentions something five times, he must really want me to get the message. Jesus used the repeated command to store up treasure in heaven because he wants me to understand that it’s the most important thing I can do with my treasures here on earth.

So when I give to God or I give to somebody in need, I’m not losing anything. My treasure is actually growing! Only in the kingdom of God am I storing something up by giving it away.

It’s important for me to plan for my future. But even more importantly, I need to start thinking about my eternal bank account in heaven—because that one’s going to last forever!

How do I fund that eternal investment? How do I store up treasure in heaven? Jesus says, “Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home” (Luke 16:9 NLT).

Any money that I give in the cause of Christ, I’m actually investing in eternity. If I invest in other people so that they have a relationship with Jesus, then one day I’m going to get to heaven, and I’m going to hear, “Thank you! I’m here because of you. I'll be your friend for eternity!”

I can’t take it with me, but I can send it ahead. So I need to store up my reward in heaven by being generous with everything I’ve have so that others can hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Since I’ve been blessed with wealth, I need to thank the Lord. I shouldn’t be proud and I shouldn’t trust in my money. I should use my money to do good, be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share. No matter how much money I have, I want my life to demonstrate that God controls the wealth that he has placed under my care.   

How to Invest for Eternity

In 1 Timothy 6:18-19 it says, “They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.” (NLT)

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:18-19, “They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life” (NLT).

We are going to enjoy forever what we invest in heaven, and we invest in heaven every time we use our money for good. 

So what’s the best way to do that? Any financial advisor will tell you not to put all your eggs in one basket. Instead, you put your money into different funds for a balanced portfolio.

God has given different “funds'' that we can invest in for eternity. Let’s look at each of the five ways. These funds are proven. They have a track record. They’re protected. They are risk-free. And they yield enormous dividends.

1. God’s Growth Fund. This is any time you invest in something that is going to grow your character. Proverbs 10:16 says, “The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin” (NLT).

So how do you enhance your life with your money? You use it to grow spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally. When you use money to develop your skills and become mature, you are investing in eternity.

2. God’s Mutual Fund. This is every time you use money to encourage fellowship and build relationships with other believers. Romans 12:13 says, “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality” (NLT).

Why does God want you to use some of your money to show love to other believers? There are three reasons. First, it proves that you’re in God’s family. Second, it creates unity. And, third, it’s a witness to unbelievers.

3. God’s Service Fund. This is when you invest in eternity by using money to serve others. God wants you to take some of your money and use it to help people who are in need. Proverbs 11:24 says, “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller” (The Message). In other words, the more you help others, the more God blesses you. Why? Because God is a giver. He is generous, and he wants you to become like him.

And you’ll find yourself becoming more and more like God as you invest in your character, other believers, and people in need.

4. God’s Global Fund. This is when you use your money to share the Good News and bring people to Jesus. Luke 16:9 says, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (NIV).

A lot of people have no idea what this verse means. Is it saying that you can buy friends? Not at all. It means that God wants you to invest in things that help get people into heaven so that when you get to heaven, they will welcome you there.

It’s the greatest investment of your life. Is anybody going to be in heaven because of you?

5. God’s Treasury Fund. When you give money to God as an act of worship, that’s called the Treasury Fund. God makes a promise in Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines” (TLB). “The first part of all your income” is your tithe—the 10 percent of your earnings that you give to God through your church.

You can’t really give God anything because he already owns it all. But think about the allowance you may have received as a child. If you went out and bought a birthday present for your mom, you really were using her money. Does that mean she liked the gift any less? No—because she cared more about the thought and the love behind the gift. God feels the same way about your giving.

The Bible says that wherever your treasure is, your heart will also be there. If what’s most important to you are the things of this Earth, then every day you are moving further away from your treasure. Because every day you are here on Earth, you’ve got one less day to invest in eternity. You’re moving further and further away from the things you’re going to leave behind.

But if you’re investing in God’s funds and using your money to serve God’s purposes, then you’re storing up treasure in heaven every day. You’re getting closer and closer to your treasure instead of further and further away.

Missionary Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Are you ready to start using your money to invest in eternity? You can start by praying this prayer: 

“Dear God, forgive me for spending my money on things that aren’t going to last. I want to start investing in heaven instead. Today I commit to using my money to grow in spiritual strength, wisdom, and knowledge, and become all that you want me to be. Help me to see ways that I can use what you have given me to strengthen relationships and to show love to my brothers and sisters in Christ.

“I want to invest in eternity by using my money to serve others. I want to learn to be generous and to be a blessing to others. And I want to use my money to bring people to you; I want people to be in heaven because I gave. And, Father, I want to show where my treasure is by investing in eternity through my gifts and offerings to you; I want to honor you by giving you the first part of all my income.

“I want to give up any lust for money so that you, God Almighty, will become my treasure. Help me to remember that I’m not a fool to give up what I cannot keep to gain what I cannot lose. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.” 

Learning to Make Intentional Decisions as I Follow and Pursue God’s Dream for My Life

In James 3:17 I read, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (NIV)

When God gives me a dream, I won’t just accidentally fulfill it. I’ll have to be intentional in making several critical decisions that will help grow my faith and move me toward fulfilling the dream God created me to dream.

Here are two decisions that are necessary: 

First, you need to invest. I have to decide to invest my time, money, reputation, and energy in the things that will advance my pursuit of God’s dream. 

In other words, I need to stop making excuses and take the plunge. This is when I say, “God, I’m not going to procrastinate any longer. I’m going to do what you’ve told me to do.”

Second, I need to let go of security. I can’t move forward in faith while holding on to the past.

A great picture of letting go of security is a trapeze artist. She swings out on one bar—but before she can grab the next bar and swing to the other side, she has to let go of that first bar. The bars are far enough apart that she can’t hold on to both at the same time. At some point she must let go of the security of the first bar. Then, for a split second, she is flying in midair, holding on to neither one.

Maybe you’ve never swung on a trapeze, but have you ever been at the point in your career when you’ve left one job and are looking for another, and there is nothing in between? It feels like you’re a hundred feet in the air with no net below. 

But if I don’t let go of my old life and grab on to the vision God wants for me, then I’ll simply swing back in the old direction—only I won’t swing all the way back. I’ll just swing lower and lower until I finally stop, hanging there with only one way out: down.

Like the trapeze artist, I have to decide to let go of my security in order to take hold of my dream.

When I’m making critical decisions to follow God’s dream, it’s not about making quick decisions. It’s about making the right decisions. Quick decisions are easy—and usually wrong. It takes wisdom and time to make the right decision. 

For wisdom, James 1:5 reminds me to just ask God, and he’ll generously give his wisdom to anyone who is faithfully sincere in their request. And “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 NIV). 

While God gives me advice and guidelines, he does not force me to do anything. He offers me freewill to decide on how I’ll live my life rather than making the decisions for me? He designed me with a mind to think through and consider my choices and impacts. 

As I follow his dream for my life, God is asking me to use my freewill to make an investment that will help further his Kingdom and bring hope to others I interact with. I just need to be willing to set aside any selfish ambitions and invest in his causes.

Today I need to let go of my reservedness and reach out and have discussions and relationships with others. I’m going to consider this and put forth an effort to do so. 

I Am Called to Serve Others

In Romans 14:12 I read, “Each of us will give a personal account to God." (NLT)

At the end of my life on Earth, I will stand before God and he’ll evaluate how well I served others with my life. The Bible says, “Each of us will give a personal account to God” (Romans 14:12 NLT).

Think about the implications of that. One day God will compare how much time and energy I spent on myself compared with what I invested in serving others.

At that point, all my excuses for self-centeredness will sound hollow: “I was too busy” or “I had my own goals” or “I was preoccupied with working, having fun, and preparing for retirement.”

To all excuses, God will respond with something like this: “Sorry, wrong answer. I created, saved, and called you. Then I commanded you to live a life of service. What part did you not understand?”

The Bible warns unbelievers, “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves” (Romans 2:8 NLT). And Believers who live for themselves will lose eternal rewards. 

The Bible says that I’m only fully alive when I’m helping others. Jesus said it like this: “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 TLB).

Then he repeats a similar truth twice in the book of Matthew and twice in Luke:

“If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will save it” (Matthew 10:39 TLB).

“For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it; and anyone who loses his life for me shall find it again” (Matthew 16:25 TLB).

“Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it, but whoever insists on keeping his life will lose it” (Luke 9:24 TLB).

“Whoever clings to his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall save it” (Luke 17:33 TLB).

Did you catch that? This truth is so important that it is repeated five times in the Gospels. If I am not serving, I’m just existing—because life is meant for ministry.

What does God expect from me? He wants me to learn to love and serve others unselfishly. 

In summary, at the end of my life, I will stand before God and he’ll evaluate how well I served others with my life. Consider the implications. One day God will compare how much time and energy I spent on myself compared with what I invested in serving others. All my excuses for self-centeredness will sound hollow. To all excuses, God will respond with something like this: “Sorry, wrong answer. I created, saved, and called you. Then I commanded you to live a life of service. What part did you not understand?” The Bible warns unbelievers, “He will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves”. And Believers who live for themselves will lose eternal rewards. The Bible says that I’m only fully alive when I’m helping others. Jesus said “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live”. Then he repeats a similar truth twice in the book of Matthew and twice in Luke. This truth is so important that it is repeated five times in the Gospels. If I am not serving, I’m just existing, life is meant for ministry. God wants me to learn to love and serve others unselfishly. 

Each of us will be accountable to Christ, not to others. When I stand before God and give a personal account of my life, I won't worry about what others have done. It doesn't matter how much or how little I have. What matters is what I do with what I've been given and if God can trust me with more. God has entrusted me with certain assets to manage while I'm here. He's watching, testing and wants to see how I handle them. I can decide what I want my life to be about. When I use the resources he's given me to make an eternal difference, I will hear God say to me, Well Done.