For the next several weeks, we will be focused on financial matters. So for most of us, a meditative resource to calm us down and give us hope is a necessity when it comes to money. Jesus taught on money, wealth, and giving many times. He used money and wealth in analogies and parables. Not because those things were a focus for Him, but rather because He knew money and things have always been a major source of temptation and struggle for us as humans. This week, we will begin by looking at the words of Jesus and what He had to say about money. Regardless of our financial circumstances, we can find some peace and hope in this often volatile area of life.

The wording of Matthew 6:19-24 in the New Life Bible is intriguing. Listen to the words of Jesus …

“Do not gather together for yourself riches of this earth. They will be eaten by bugs and become rusted. Men can break in and steal them. Gather together riches in heaven where they will not be eaten by bugs or become rusted. Men cannot break in and steal them. For wherever your riches are, your heart will be there also. The eye is the light of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. If your eye is bad, your whole body will be dark. If the light in you is dark, how dark it will be! No one can have two bosses. He will hate the one and love the other. Or he will listen to the one and work against the other. You cannot have both God and riches as your boss at the same time.

Now, Jesus is not saying that it’s wrong to have a savings account. That’s not the point. The concept here is not about our bank account, but our motives and focus. It’s interesting to think of money as a boss. In fact, we will often put up with a lot in our lives in work with actual bosses because money is our ultimate boss. But Jesus is saying that mindset easily competes with God’s place in our lives.

Verse 21 is a great litmus test to constantly evaluate our lives: For wherever your riches are, your heart will be there also. The converse is also true: Whatever has your heart, that’s also where your riches will be found. In other words: We put our money into what we love most. But money is just a thing. A resource. An asset. So let’s let that love be our boss, our catalyst, our driving force—where our riches, our treasure, our hearts, are.

Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, please help me to keep money in perspective—a heavenly perspective. I want you to be the Boss. I give my finances to You today. Help me to treat money as the simple resource that it is and help me to keep You as my treasure, where my heart is. As above, so below.”