“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19–21
God’s timing is impeccable. Right after writing Tuesday’s devotional about God’s Perspective, I was listening to a sermon, and the speaker said: “Perspective determines value.” Wow—God always blows my mind! In the context of the last two devotionals, I was challenged to discover: What does this mean?
Well, imagine walking past a painting at Walmart. You glance, think, “that’s nice,” and keep moving. Now, imagine someone showing you a painting by Leonardo da Vinci—a man renowned as one of the most brilliant artists in history. Suddenly, your appreciation skyrockets. Why? Because you know who the artist is. Ah…
Perspective determines what we value.
In other words, if we don’t understand the author, we won’t recognize His work. Conversely, when we DO know the source, we can appreciate the value. This is critical to understand when it comes to our relationship with God. If we do not know Him for Who He says He is, we will never recognize the pricelessness of our relationship with Him.
My friend, when we receive God’s gift of supernatural faith for salvation, we are plugged into His Spirit. We are empowered to know Him. But, like a baby and its parents, we must grow our perspective. If we really want to bridge the relationship gap from being a needy, selfish, and demanding child, to enjoying great camaraderie, love, and friendship with other adults—we must gain the adult perspective of selflessness and sacrifice.
The same is true with God.
And when we grow in His perspective because we know Him more for Who He really is, we become more aware of how He values others. Each day, we pass by people, opportunities, and moments that we undervalue because we’re viewing life through an earthly lens instead of from God’s perspective. But, if we truly understand that every soul is crafted by God, every moment is ordained by Him, and every opportunity can have an eternal impact, we would treat our life and each interaction and experience like divine masterpieces instead of discount-bin leftovers.
Ask yourself:
- What have I valued most, and thus invested in—emotionally, mentally, financially?
- Are those things eternal or temporary?
- Do they bring me closer to God’s purpose for my life, or distract me from it?
Too often, we hang our hearts on what rusts, fades, or is forgotten. God’s perspective is to treasure Him and the people He created in His image. God’s value system places infinite value on souls, not stuff.
Souls—not money, status, or possessions—are the only investment we make on this earth that we can carry beyond this life.
“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” ~Jesus Mark 8:34-37
WHO are you taking to Heaven with YOU?
When we let God guide our perspective, our priorities change. We start “spending” differently—our time, our talents, and even our energy are redirected from self-focused accumulation to eternal investment. Every breath we take is valuable, not because we earned it, but because God gave it to us to be used for His glory.
“Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” Isaiah 43:7
We were created for God’s glory. That means our life, and the lives of those around you, carry eternal weight. We must allow God to shift our focus to what truly matters. When we have God’s perspective, we don’t even want our worst “enemy” to go to hell. When we gain God’s perspective, each day is an amazing opportunity!
Reflection Question:
Consider the things in your life you treat as priceless, and ask: Are they things I will take with me? Then, think of the people you know who are not born again or are not living in their glorious God-given purpose, and ask Him to help you have His perspective about how to pray for them. The Spirit will guide your prayers and actions. It’s mind-blowing.
Closing Prayer:
Father, open my eyes to see what You value. Help me trade temporary treasures for eternal investments. Teach me to walk in Your perspective, not mine. I want my heart to follow heaven’s priorities, not the world’s distractions. Thank You for creating me for Your glory. Help me to live like I believe it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
