Our spending is a great measure of what we treasure

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21).

This seems obvious, doesn't it? If you had a treasure chest with your main wealth buried somewhere on your property your thoughts--your heart--definitely would be inclined to that place. You would do anything to keep that property, to guard it, protect it. Where your treasure is, that definitely is where your heart would be.

Jesus here is speaking of putting treasure in heaven rather than on earth, but we can draw purely earthly principles here as well (that still have spiritual considerations anyway). For example, are we inclined to spend our money on ourselves first to get the cool toys and gadgets rather than on the needs of the family? I know I love tech toys. I'm a guy. Come on :-). But my family needs things first. That is where my heart should be, no, trying to provide for them first--then myself after?

This is, of course, harder said than done. As Jeremiah 17:9 says, our hearts can be deceitful. We are so readily inclined to ourselves first before others.

This is why our spending is a powerful measure of what we treasure. What we value we are willing to spend money on and what we do not value we do not spend on. If we value things, that is what we will spend on most. If we value helping others, we will put money there, being willing to give.

I'm not trying to say how we are to spend our money. That is between oneself and God. It just that it tells us a lot about what we treasure. As Jesus told in the parable of the wise steward, the wise & shred steward who was faithful with what he was charged (caring for his master's interests) was rewarded.

God wants to reward our faithfulness with regards to His interests. Are we being faithful with the money He has entrusted to us, whether a little or a lot? It is a question I ask myself--and, honestly--find wanting. It is a question we must all ask ourselves.