What is your treasure?  Have you given much thought to how you would respond if someone asked you what you treasure? Most people’s quick response is family and friends, followed by their faith and some might even add their job.

We have learned from an early age to put God first in our lives and everything else will find its place with God’s help. I truly believe that most of us think we are doing a pretty good job. We attend church on a regular basis, we give money regularly through the financial commitment we make each fall to FUMC and lots of people participate in small groups. We volunteer occasionally and are happy and content with our involvement at church.

In Matthew 6:21 Jesus states “For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” What is your treasure? I remember many years ago sitting in New Beginnings Sunday School class and Wilson Canafax coming by our class to talk about the Giving Campaign. He stood in front of all of us and said, “I can tell each of you what you treasure.” I thought to myself what kind of special powers does he have that he knows what each of us treasures most. He proceeded with saying, “Let me see your check book!” He went on to say what you spend your money on, is what you treasure most! I had never thought about it like that before but after pondering the thought for a while I wondered if someone opened my checkbook what would they say I treasure? Would they see that I love my church and I’m faithful about giving and supporting the missions of FUMC Hurst? Or would they quickly come to another conclusion and see that my real treasure was someplace else.

He went on to explain that the money we have is really not our money, we are just using it while we are here on earth. So, if our money is not ours and God gave us everything we have, what would God say about the ways I use the money he has put in my control?   Am I honoring him with the decisions I make everyday about money? Am I spending my resources on the things I treasure most? I am a budget person so these thoughts really stuck with me. Was I living out what I said I treasure most? Were my husband and I teaching our children to financially and spiritually support those things that meant the most to them?

It was important to my husband and I to teach our children the joy of giving to their church and saving for the future. When each of them turned five years old we started giving them an allowance each week that equaled the amount of their age. We had a bank that had three parts to it-Church, Store and Bank. We taught them to give 10% of their allowance to church and then half of the remainder was put in the bank and the other half they could spend on things they wanted. We wanted to instill the joy of giving to their church at an early age. When they joined the church after Confirmation they started completing their own pledge card during the giving campaign.

As I look back and review our family budget I want to make sure that those things I treasure most are where we invest most of our resources. As a family, we have prayed and supported our church faithfully. As we conduct the 2017 Giving Campaign we will again prayerfully consider all the ways that we will support First United Methodist Church of Hurst. Will you take time to think about what you treasure this week and see if your checkbook says the same?