“Let every one who readeth these words, narrowly search his own heart. Where hast thou laid up thy treasure hitherto? Where art thou laying it up now? Art thou labouring to be rich toward God, or to lay up earthly goods which takes up the greater part of thy thoughts? Thou that art careful for outward things, diligent in doing good, and exact in outward duties. Beware of covetousness; of decent, honourable love of money; and of a desire to lay up treasures on earth.
Lay up treasure in heaven! A few days hence, thou wilt step into a land of darkness; where earthly fruits will be of no avail; where thou wilt not be capable of eating and drinking, or gratifying any of thy senses. What benefit wilt thou then receive from all thou hast laid up in this world? What satisfaction in all which thou hast treasured up, all thou hast left behind thee? What? Couldest thou then take nothing with thee into the everlasting habitations? Nay then, lay up treasure, before thou go hence, which fadeth not away.”
John Wesley in On Worldly Folly 119.2.9. Wesley preached this sermon on the Rich Fool in Luke 12 at Balham, February 19, 1790. Whether or not you make it to church today, this sermon is not too long and well worth reading.
In the crowd of voices that speak on biblical stewardship and Christian generosity today, I find that few practice or preach what Jesus teaches with regard to laying up treasure in heaven. Most foolishly store them up on earth. On this issue, I echo the response of Wesley from Causes of the Inefficacy of Christianity 116.19:
“I call God to record upon my soul, that I advise no more than I practice. I do, blessed be God, gain, and save, and give all I can. And so, I trust in God, I shall do, while the breath of God is in my nostrils. But what then? I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus my Lord!”
Let every one who reads these words, narrowly search his or her own heart because it is not our beliefs but rather our actions that display where we are placing our trust.