True Wealth

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

The Sermon on the Mount is one of Jesus’s most important teachings. Speaking to crowds gathered on a hillside, Jesus challenges their understanding of true wealth and treasure. Rather than focusing on external religious behavior or financial success, Jesus points to the condition of their hearts. His listeners include people who carefully follow religious laws yet miss the deeper transformation God desires. This teaching is part of Jesus’s larger message about the kingdom of God—where true wealth is measured not by earthly treasures but by hearts alive to God and aligned with his purposes.

Our relationship with money and possessions often reveals what we truly value. While we can master financial disciplines like budgeting, saving and investing, these practices alone don’t guarantee spiritual health. It’s possible to create healthy financial habits while harboring hearts full of pride, greed, anxiety or indifference to the needs of others. True wealth isn’t found by growing bank accounts but by developing hearts characterized by gratitude, contentment, trust and godly love. These qualities form the foundation of spiritual riches that last beyond our earthly lives. Just as Jesus taught his first followers to examine the true treasures of their hearts, he invites us to consider where our affections truly lie.

TODAY: Begin a thirty-day gratitude challenge to help develop a heart of true wealth. Each day, write down three things you’re thankful for. While thirty days can kickstart this habit, a lasting change of heart requires years of consistent practice. Start a gratitude journal today and ask God to transform your heart through daily thanksgiving. Consider setting a specific time each day—maybe over morning coffee or during an evening reflection—to establish this practice.