Eternal Priorities
A compilation
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The Sermon on the Mount includes many of Jesus’ most famous teachings, including this one: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19–21). …
So, what should we do? We should store up treasures in heaven. … Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” meaning that we will centre our lives around what we value most. If we prioritize the wrong things, our lives will go off the rails. If we prioritize the right things, our lives will stay in the transformative footsteps of our risen Redeemer. …
As a disciple of Jesus, reflect on what you prize. Also reflect on the sobering reality that when your heartbeat goes, so do your things. True commitment to the King means true commitment to his Kingdom. Over sixteen hundred years ago, John Chrysostom wrote something which could have been written last week:
“[W]e are only temporary guests on earth. We recognize that the houses in which we live serve only as hostels on the road to eternal life. We do not seek peace or security from the material walls around us or the roof above our heads. Rather, we want to surround ourselves with a wall of divine grace; and we look upward to heaven as our roof. And the furniture of our lives should be good works, performed in a spirit of love.”1
Let’s hunger and thirst for the eternal pathways of God. In the glitter-obsessed and distracted eyes of the world, we may not be bigger, better, best, but we sure are blessed.—Matthew Ruttan2
The things that matter for eternity
Your love and service for God, your sacrifices to bring the gospel to others, and the love and compassion you show for others are investments in your eternal future. You are storing up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19–20).
What we do in this earthly life—our relationship with the Lord, our discipleship, our faithfulness to follow God’s Word, our service to Him and others, our loving actions—are investments in eternity. The life we lead, the decisions we make, the good that we do, the love we share with others—everything we do in love and service to God and others matters.
In the book of Revelation, we read: “I heard a voice from heaven, saying, ‘Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’” (Revelation 14:13).
While as Christians we have each received the free gift of salvation by God’s grace, we will each give an account for our life, and will be rewarded according to what we have done in our earthly life. “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
So no matter what our present circumstances, it’s important not to lose sight that as Christians, we are called to lay up treasure in heaven. It can be a struggle to maintain that focus, when the cares of this life press in or we are struggling to make ends meet. However, it’s helpful at those times to remember that when we invest in the kingdom of God, we are storing up treasures in heaven, and the Lord has promised to reward His children for everything they give to Him and others.
As Christians, we have been given the gift of eternal life through Jesus. God’s gift of salvation guarantees us everlasting life in His presence. What we do during our life on earth matters, and where we place our treasures. How we live our faith today is very important and the decisions we make—as we focus on eternity and the things that will last beyond the temporal things of this life.
Being mindful of this truth helps us in determining what is important, and in upholding the Christian values and ethics that we are called to live by. It should be a guide for the decisions we make, as we are called to pattern our lives according to God’s Word. His Word teaches us to place our relationship with Him first in our lives as the first and greatest commandment, and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37–39). As we do so, we are building for eternity by investing in the things that matter and will not fade away or decay.—Peter Amsterdam
Jesus is our treasure
When Jesus is our treasure, we will commit our resources—our money, our time, our talents—to His work in this world. Our motivation for what we do is important (1 Corinthians 10:31). Paul encourages servants that God has an eternal reward for those who are motivated to serve Christ: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23–24).
When we live sacrificially for Jesus’ sake or serve Him by serving the body of Christ, we store up treasure in heaven. Even seemingly small acts of service do not go unnoticed by God. “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward” (Matthew 10:42). …
The Lord will be faithful to reward us for the service we give Him (Hebrews 6:10). … The treasures that await the child of God will far outweigh any trouble, inconvenience, or persecution we may face (Romans 8:18).—Got Questions3
Transfer of wealth
A reader on my Facebook page asked this question about the nature of treasures in Heaven: “What does that even mean to ‘store your treasures in heaven’? What treasures are we storing up?!”
The Greek word translated “treasures” or “riches” in Matthew 6 normally means “accumulated wealth in the form of money, jewels, or other valuables.” That’s exactly what Christ’s disciples would have immediately thought of: tangible wealth, valuable assets, precious possessions.
It’s true that when Jesus speaks about “treasures in heaven,” we don’t know the exact form those treasures will take. Treasures in Heaven could be of material or spiritual nature, but either way they are real, meaningful rewards for God’s people who give generously.
In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us to transfer our wealth from one place to another. When we die, earthly treasure will no longer be ours, but wealth we’ve transferred to Heaven will remain ours forever.
God will also give us eternal rewards for doing good works (Ephesians 6:8; Romans 2:6, 10), persevering under persecution (Luke 6:22–23), showing compassion to the needy (Luke 14:13–14), and treating our enemies kindly (Luke 6:35).
We’re told that “the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever” (Daniel 7:18). What is “the kingdom”? Earth. On the New Earth, God’s children will reign with Christ (Revelation 20:6). Faithful servants will be put “in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:21–23). … Treasures in Heaven, then, will surely include the rewards of God entrusting His faithful children with positions of leadership in proportion to their service on Earth (Luke 19:12–19).
Once we grasp what Heaven really is and will be, we can begin to understand what Christ meant when He talked about storing up treasures there.—Randy Alcorn4
Published on Anchor September 2026. Read by Lenore Welsh. Music by Michael Dooley.
1 On Living Simply: The Golden Voice of John Chrysostom, comp. Robert Van de Weyer (Liguori Publications, 1996), 11.
2 Matthew Ruttan, “What Did Jesus Mean When He Said to Store Up Treasures in Heaven?” ca.thegospelcoalition.org, November 22, 2021, https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-did-jesus-mean-when-he-said-to-store-up-treasures-in-heaven.
3 “How can we store up treasures in heaven?” gotquestions.org, https://www.gotquestions.org/treasures-in-heaven.html.
4 Randy Alcorn, “What Are Treasures in Heaven?” epm.org, December 2, 2024, https://www.epm.org/resources/2024/Dec/2/treasures-heaven.
