By: Lisa Santelli
Don’t store up your treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy or where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19 – 24
Are you generous? Do you give freely? Oh, how I want to believe that I do. But if I’m being honest, my hands can be more clenched than open. It’s not that I don’t want to give easily—rather, there’s a fear that if I give something of value, something I could sell for a profit, I won’t have enough. That I’ll give something away and be left with nothing.
It’s a struggle God has challenged me with more times than I can count. It’s not just about the things I may love—it’s about where my loyalty lies. Do I trust God enough that if He asks me to give something away… will I be obedient?
A while back, my husband and I were preparing to move. As we packed and sorted through our belongings, I realized we had a lot of furniture we wouldn’t be taking to our next place. I love being thrifty—both buying and selling—and I knew we could sell these items to help with moving expenses.
But God had a different plan.
He placed it on my heart to donate all the furniture I had intended to sell.
“But God, do you know how much money we could get for that?”
“But God, that could really help us right now.”
“But God, are you sure?”
He wouldn’t let it go. At the time, many families had been affected by hurricanes, so I reached out to a family I knew and asked if they could use any of it. They gratefully accepted it all.
Once I moved past the fear of not having enough, I stepped into the joy of being a cheerful giver, knowing these items would bless this family. Oh, God… He is so good!
But that’s not the end of the story.
After we moved into our new home, friends began reaching out and giving us furniture—random pieces that fit perfectly in our place. A neighbor gave us a TV. Someone gifted me my favorite type of tree, the very one I had wanted for years but didn’t have space for in our previous home.
God kept showing up, challenging me not only to give but also how to receive. Because receiving is a whole other topic that I often struggle with, as well.
When we surrender our treasures and obediently step out in faith, God isn’t trying to take from us—He’s making room for something greater. He’s after our hearts. He wants to know that we aren’t holding onto idols—anything that could keep us from fully surrendering to Him.
When we give, no matter the cost, we aren’t just giving to others—we are giving to God. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Is there anything you are holding onto right now? Something that, if you were asked to give it away, would challenge your heart?
I don’t want to store up anything that matters more than my heart’s obedience to God.
I won’t challenge you to give everything away. But I will challenge you to examine your heart. Is there something taking a greater hold than your love for Christ?
He’s not trying to deplete you of treasure—He’s trying to fill you with all of Heaven’s treasures.