As a progressive Christian, I believe there are many names for God and many ways to a loving God; this article reflects one of those ways. Take from here what works for you. Celebrate life with joy and peace!
“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The Gospel of Luke.
We all have the opportunity to be generous. We all have something we can share. Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins wrote a book called The Sacrament of Sharing. This little book is packed with nuggets of gold. And I’d like to share some of those with you.
There are many places in scripture where Jesus and other writers in the Old and New Testament encourage generosity. When we are faithful, consistent and intentional in our generosity it really is a spiritual discipline.
Now, let’s be real, money contains a lot of energy for us. We believe in it. We need it. We work for it. We use it. We value it.
We need money for almost everything in life; from getting an education, to housing, to retirement. We need money for transportation, medical care and for clothing. We need it for going to the movies or Disneyland, for food and to pay taxes so that we can get those services that we don’t pay for in any other way. Money is very important for us.
But more than paying taxes, more than putting a percentage aside for savings and retirement and more than supporting the economy with our spending, there is a spiritual dynamic to money. This attitude goes way back in history.
We attach a lot of energy to money. To give money in the right spirit is to give much, much, more than money. To willingly share our money with a place that builds us up, that encourages us and empowers us, that is a powerful act!
Durrell Watkins says that when we give money in the right spirit, “It is more than sharing cash and coin, it is investing our emotions, a portion of our livelihood; it is giving something that represents so much to us in order to support something that is trying to do so much for us.
And when we give in gratitude, expecting nothing in return, then the joy, hope, love, gratitude and generosity with which we give all comes back to us – multiplied several times over. When we give for the joy of giving, not only do we get the joy of giving, but other blessings too! It’s the way of the divine economy.”
I believe when we intentionally and joyfully share our financial resources, it’s an act of worship. And as you share your resources, I hope you see you’re partnering with the Creator of an abundant universe that has unlimited resources to share with you.
So, what does Jesus mean when he says, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also?”
Jesus isn’t telling us that we will automatically give to what we treasure. I mean, just think how many people enjoy something without fully supporting it, or how many people resent paying taxes even though they are glad for, and even expect, the protection of police and fire departments, and our military and the service of teachers and sanitation workers and clean water.
According to Durrell, what Luke imagines Jesus saying here is, “Where your treasure is, is where your heart already is.”
There’s an old adage that says, “Show me your checkbook or your credit card statement, and I’ll show you what you value most; what’s important to you.”
Yes, it’s good to be generous. It feels good to be generous. We want to be the kind of people who are generous and as we learn to trust that we can be generous, we will grow in our faith, and in happiness and we’ll feel closer to our community and to our spiritual Source that is above all and through all and in all.
“Where your treasure is, is where your heart is.” Heart treasure is about believing that life is inherently good; heart treasure is about attitude. And from that “treasure” place in our hearts, we will be silently nudged by Spirit to share our financial resources, as well as our time and talent. The heart treasure is the attitude from which our lives can be lived, improved, shared and abundantly blessed.
It’s about sharing what we have, supporting what supports us, being grateful for our blessings, and being hopeful in times of struggle and this positive response of sharing comes from our positive attitudes. And attitude is what Luke is talking about in this passage.
This attitude helps us see abundance all around us, this attitude helps us know we are blessed and that we are worthy of being blessed, this attitude tells us we have something to share, this attitude tells us there is always a reason to hope and something to celebrate, this attitude reminds us that God wants us to be truly happy; this is the attitude; this is the “treasure” that will bless our lives every day, no matter what may come our way.
