Breaking the Bank – 2 Indicators of What Matters Most
There are at least two indicators that reveal what we value the most.
The first is our money. We invest in what we believe in. That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Our investments lie where our affections lie.
Our calendar is another indicator. It’s been said that time is our most valuable commodity. We devote this priceless resource to what we determine to be valuable. We will break the bank—the bank that holds our money and the bank that controls our time—for what we truly treasure.
One day Jesus illustrated the value of the kingdom of heaven in a couple of two-sentence parables in Matthew 13:44-46, The Hidden Treasure and The Pearl. He said,
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy, went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
Another day Jesus called attention to a real-life application of what it looks like when we discover the great value of the kingdom of heaven. It happened in the temple with some religious high-rollers and a simple woman whose generosity outshined them all.
This short story is recorded in Mark 12:41-44 ...
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Take an honest look at your accounts and your calendar. Each is a reflection of what’s in your heart and what you value the most. Be careful not to compare the amount of money or time you give with what others are doing. Ten thousand dollars is like a thousand to some and a hundred to another. All may be generous unless you are comfortably and conveniently giving out of your surplus.
What are you breaking the bank for—the bank that holds your money and the bank that controls your time?
We invest in what we believe in.