Use Your Stuff. Don’t Treasure It.

One of the easiest mistakes Christians make when talking about money is assuming the problem is having stuff.

It isn’t.

Jesus never said, “Don’t own anything.” He said:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…” — Matthew 6:19

There’s a big difference. And it really matters.

God made this amazing world for us to live in: food, beauty, homes, families, work, rest. The Bible doesn’t teach us to feel guilty every time we enjoy something God has given us.

The problem starts when a good gift becomes our treasure. If I could sum up Jesus’ message on money and materialism from the Sermon on the Mount in just a few words, I would say it like this:

Use your stuff. Don’t love your stuff.

Because if you love it—if you build your life around it, protect it at all costs, constantly need more of it, and believe it can give you security or happiness—eventually you won’t own your stuff any more.

Your stuff will own you.

That’s what happened to the rich young ruler in Luke 18. He had a lot of possessions, but that wasn’t ultimately the issue. Plenty of faithful people in Scripture had wealth. His problem was that when Jesus called out his love for his possessions, he couldn’t let them go.

The rich young ruler didn’t just own a lot of stuff. His stuff owned him.

That makes Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 incredibly personal:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

So here’s a question worth sitting with this week: What has your heart?

A few more might help you answer it:

• Is there something you own you couldn’t imagine giving up if Jesus asked?
• Do you find yourself constantly thinking about what you want next?
• Does someone else’s stuff make what God’s given you feel inadequate?
• Are you protecting a lifestyle so aggressively that generosity always waits?
• Is most of your financial energy spent asking “What is in this for me?” instead of “What could God do through this?”

Jesus isn’t trying to make us miserable or strip every good thing out of our lives. He’s trying to keep good things from becoming God things. (Because that’s how good gifts become bad idols.)

So let me take the pressure off for a second. Enjoy what God gives you! Thank Him for all of it. Take care of your stuff. Use it for God’s glory. Share it. Be generous with it.

But never ask a gift to do what only the Giver can do.

Your house can’t give you lasting security. Your savings can’t guarantee your future. Your possessions can’t tell you who you are. No amount of stuff can satisfy a heart that was made for God.

That’s why Jesus warns us about treasure. Not because Jesus wants less for us, but because he wants more. He wants us enjoying His gifts without being enslaved by them.

So use your stuff. Enjoy your stuff. But don’t treasure it.

Store up your treasure in heaven.