“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

I’m fairly careful with money, but when I buy something I try to choose good quality items that will last. I am also quite particular about my things and like to look after them. For example, my CD collection is in alphabetical order and it drives me mad when they are replaced out of sequence or the wrong CD is put back in the wrong case. I also keep my garage/workshop organised with my screwdrivers and tools arranged according to size and type – everything has a place so that I know where to find it when I need it.

I have two little boys who don’t pay much attention to my slightly OCD tendencies and don’t show the same care for things that I do. Our youngest (19 months) was scratching at the TV with a fork the other day and likes to throw things in the pond, and our eldest (3 years) likes to draw on the walls with crayons and launch things down the stairs! I jokingly tell them that I am keeping a record of damaged and lost items and I’ll deduct the cost from their university fund!

Since becoming a father I have learnt many valuable lessons. One area where I have been tested is my attachment to possessions and material things. It is good to look after possessions and take care of the things God has provided, but I must not let my concern for inanimate objects take precedence over my relationship with God and with people. I do sometimes get angry when one of my boys breaks something, especially if it is expensive or sentimental but I have to remember that they are only objects. I cannot take any of them with me to heaven and they will all eventually break, expire or depreciate. The only thing I can take with me to heaven is people, and so I need to show the love of Christ to everyone, no matter the material cost. This starts at home with my wife and children.

As Christians we have something that doesn’t get damaged in a 40 degree wash cycle or get lost down the back of the sofa. We have “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” (1 Peter 1:4) There is nothing more precious than the promise of eternal life with the Creator and Saviour of the world. It is a constant challenge in our consumerist culture, but we must avoid falling into the trap of acquiring more wealth and possessions and protecting our earthy empires, and must work hard at investing in our eternal inheritance “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”