From Pack Rat To Cheeful Giver

Luke 12:32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

When my husband’s grandmother passed away, her family had to go through all the things she left behind. We found in her pantry, cans of Coca Cola. These cans were so old that even though they were never opened, the liquid inside had dehydrated and the cans were almost completely empty inside. There were rubber bands she had saved from vegetables she had bought and Styrofoam that she saved from her leftover meals. She had carefully washed them and stacked them for later. It took a long time to go through everything and when I think about it now, I realized that she had gone through the Great depression. She had experienced lack and wanted to ensure that she had everything she needed. She was ensuring God’s faithfulness to her. It was a scary time for her, but that time had passed and she was still stuck in it. For some of us, we have experienced what it is to have a need. Maybe, we were poor as children. Maybe we are experiencing it now. We have habits from that poverty. We, like Lance’s grandmother store away things just in case.

So, what does the bible say about storing up things? Is it wrong? Is it right? Isn’t it being a good steward of our money? Let’s look into the Word and find out.

The first question I would like to ask you is are you a hoarder or another word for it is are you a pack rat? If you are, then what are you afraid of? There is a certain fear of not having. There is a lack of trust in God if you can’t help but store away. I am not talking about finding a good deal and buying several for your family.

Matt. 6:19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Reserve of Wealth

1) Stacking

Let me give you a word study on "treasures." The Greek word is thesaurizete, from which we get the word thesaurus -- a treasury of words. The idea of the word treasure is to stash something somewhere. The peculiar quality of this Greek word literally conveys the idea of placing something horizontally.

There is a horizontal concept in the word thesaurizete. When something is stacked it is not being used -- it is in a passive condition. When you find a word in the Greek that has a vertical or perpendicular flavor, it means that it is in active use -- purposeful, meaningful, with a function, being invested in some purpose, goal, or end. But the meaning here is something flat stacked with no active function or purpose.

2) Stashing

The Lord is not referring to that which we use to live every day, but that which we just pile up. It is not our necessities (i.e., meeting the needs of our own life, family, the poor, the Lord; for setting aside money for the future, or for making wise investments in order to be better stewards of God’s money in the days to come). It is not active but stockpiled luxury we amass for our own selves and beyond what we can possibly use. The implication is that there is an abundance too numerous for use, so it is just piled up.

My question to you is, are there stock pile in your home? Are there stock piles in your closets, pantries, in your car? Why? What is it that you can’t trust God for? What has He promised you? Guess what? He promised to give you so much that you would be blessed to have the necessity to give.

I have read countless stories of a man or woman who dies and had millions of dollars to their name and yet live in poverty. No one knew. No one could even tell and they were content with the necessities in life that God met. When they died, they gave it to churches, charities, etc… What I would hope is that they would have given it in their lifetime.

Too many times, we are storing to save for our children when we die and never get to experience the joy of seeing the blessings of God being used to extend the kingdom of God. There are people out in the world with no clothes, no food, no hope and we sit in our cramped houses full of junk that is being stock piled for who?