WEEK TWO: GIVE IT AWAY

From buried pirate treasure to sunken ships and fortunes hidden away and supposedly forgotten, treasure hunting has captured the imagination of countless would-be millionaires hoping to strike it rich with that one big find. The longest running treasure hunt in the world is the hunt for the Oak Island Treasure. Beginning in 1795 when Daniel McGinnis found a depression in the ground until just recently with the Michigan Group, someone has been looking to see if they could find the purported treasure. Countless millions of dollars have been spent and six people have died in an effort to find that one big payday. Some have even devoted nearly an entire lifetime into finding it.

But why? Why would someone expend so much with just a possibility—a chance of finding something? It is all about what they treasure. In Matthew 6:21, Jesus states, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (NLT) Don’t get me wrong—there is nothing wrong with having money or working hard to make a good living. There is nothing wrong with wanting to do your best to provide well for yourself and your family. However, one can easily lose sight of why they are doing it when their heart shifts away from what God wants to what they want. When this happens, we may no longer treasure what God treasures and calls important… and then, our focus shifts from what is honoring to God to what honors us.

What’s the solution? How do we begin to treasure what God treasures? Well first, we need to re-focus our focus. We need to make God’s focus our focus. When we can make this shift and when what matters to God matters to us, our life begins to matter.

God’s got this! Your finances, your needs, your wants, your plans, and your desires are all in his hands. The stresses you carry about making ends meet and your desires to never be in want again… God knows! He is not surprised or caught off guard. He cares deeply about you, but he also expects that with his care in mind, you begin to reflect that same care toward others. God is both our provision and our provider, and it is when we come to that realization that we can truly invest for eternity.

So, where is your focus? Do you focus on getting more or giving more? Do you focus on generosity or stinginess? Do you focus on selfishness or gratitude? How can your finances matter for eternity?