Holy Trinity Church, Frome

The Bible says, 'Jesus... watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury...' (Mark 12:41 NIV). Try to answer this question honestly: 'Would my giving change if Jesus was passing the offering plate and watching me write the cheque?'

Actually, He does.

Each time God asks you to give He observes your obedience, your consistency, and your generosity or the lack of it. He doesn't measure you by how much you give, but what you have, and what you keep. That's why Jesus said, 'Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' Now, since every human enterprise is destined to go up in smoke but of God's kingdom '...there shall be no end...' (Isaiah 9:7 KJV), it's not hard to figure out where you should invest, right? Yet who among us hasn't been more excited about a dream home here on earth than an eternal home in heaven? That's why Jesus keeps challenging our priorities and values. Ever notice how many people rush to endow God's work on the eve of their departure? Perhaps that's because we get great perspective from a hearse! '...store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...' (Matthew 6:20 NIV). What Jesus is saying to us is, 'You can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead'. Thank God for benevolent bequests, but don't you think it would be wiser to 'do your givin' while you're livin' and experience the double blessing of having your money spread His kingdom while you're still around to enjoy it?

Bottom line: if you want to know what's really important to you, observe what you do with your money.