What Can You Bring to Heaven?

In our daily meditations over the last few days, we have been reflecting on the rewards that a believer in Christ will receive when Jesus returns and this evil age comes to an end. Jesus taught that we should not store up treasures on earth, but rather, we should store our treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19). What do you believe you can take with you to heaven? While this may not be an exhaustive list, three thoughts come to mind.

1)    We can take other people whom we have helped find eternal life.

2)  We can bring the things we have learned, the Word of God, imprinted on our hearts.

3)    We also bring the character of Christ, whom the Holy Spirit has transformed us into.

Storing up treasure in heaven should prompt us to consider what we are creating with our time, energy, talents, and money. Aware that it would be some time before His Second Coming, Jesus shared a parable about a nobleman going on a long journey to acquire a kingdom for himself (Luke 19:11-27). In the parable, the nobleman entrusted each of his ten servants with an amount of money, a mina, which is roughly three months' wages for a laborer. He instructed them to engage in business by putting the money to work until he returned. The Greek word translated as "put this money to work" (NIV) or "occupy" (KJV) is pragmateuomai. It signifies conducting business, investing, or trading with the intention of yielding a return on the investment. We derive the term pragmatic from this Greek word. To be pragmatic means to address something sensibly and realistically. We need to sit down and carefully consider ways we can pragmatically invest our resources to achieve the greatest return for the Kingdom of God.

Understanding the character of our Nobleman, King Jesus, we should strive to invest in the things He cares about. He values people above all—thus, we must cultivate a heart of compassion for those around us if we are to build with gold, silver, or precious stones (1 Corinthians 3:12). In the parable, the first servant invested and put the master's money to work, yielding a return of ten minas for his initial one mina. The nobleman's response was that the steward would not only keep the ten minas but also be rewarded with ten cities. This passage illustrates a significant difference between the initial investment and the reward for faithful labor.

I believe the cities serve as metaphorical language to help us understand that in what we do for Christ in this sinful world—specifically how we care for others—there will be a significant difference between what we invest and the reward we receive on that Day. I don't know what the prize will be, but I'm eager to find out. Our duty and privilege is to put our hands to the plow for our Noble Master, using our time, energy, and resources for the growth of His Kingdom. As Christians, we are strangers and pilgrims in this world and should look forward to Christ's coming Kingdom.

If you believe in and trust Christ, you will enter the eternal Kingdom. Your entrance into the Kingdom of God does not depend on your works but on receiving the gift of God—salvation in Christ. With eternity in view, we should invest our resources in people.

Prayer: Father, help us to realize that each day is preparation for eternity. Make us receptive to what You want to teach us and get us ready for that day. Thank You for watching over us until that day comes. Amen. Keith Thomas

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Taken from the series Insights into Eternity. Click on Study 2 or the link: Preparing for Death.

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