Treasures in Heaven
Treasures in Heaven
Everything in heaven is treasures—things that have never entered the heart of a human being. All of them God has prepared for the righteous, as a reward for their steadfastness in virtue, for their spiritual struggle, and for their victories over all the temptations of Satan and his schemes, he and all his helpers.
But in this article I do not mean the treasures that God—blessed be His name—has prepared; rather, I mean what a person stores up for himself in heaven, in various kinds and ways that we will speak about. Blessed is the person who does not focus all his interests and efforts on treasures he stores up here on earth—such as money in banks, or real estate and buildings, or land he owns, or factories and companies, or similar earthly possessions—but who also has a share in what he ought to acquire in heaven and store up there. Why should this be so? And how?
Store up for yourself treasures in heaven, because everything on earth is perishable and does not last. Everything you acquire on it, you will not take with you on the day you leave this earth, no matter how long you live. Therefore, you must place before yourself a balance that distinguishes between what perishes and what remains: what you take with you, and what you leave for others, whether you wish it or not.
Some may say, “If I leave the world, everything I acquire I will leave to my children and family members. Thus nothing will be lost to me.” Of course, this is acceptable and no one opposes it, for you are responsible for your children with a social responsibility before God and people. But this does not prevent you from offering part of your money to others. Wisdom tells us all: “These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone” (Matt. 23:23). Love for goodness should not be limited to one’s children, but should be comprehensive, for others may be more in need of help than your children. Moreover, you do not guarantee your children—whether they will use your money wisely or misuse it. If they are wise and inclined to do good, you will have a share in heaven from their reward. But if they are the opposite, and squander the money in extravagant living or in what is not fitting, you will have lost everything. In any case, the guaranteed matter is that you do good to others directly in your own lifetime.
You should also know that all the money you have, and all the good things God has granted you, you are merely a steward over them to use them for good. And you will give an account for them before God, who will say to you here and in eternity: “Give an account of your stewardship” (Luke 16:2).
Always remember the saying: “He has not truly lived who lived only for himself.” You live, my brother, in a society that has rights upon you, and you must fulfill your duty. Hoarding all your money for yourself, without giving any of it to others—especially the needy—is a kind of selfishness and self-centeredness. I do not accept this for you, nor should you accept it for yourself.
It is good for a person to be happy in his life, but better than this is to make others happy. By making others happy, he will feel a greater and higher happiness. This has two benefits. First, the one who makes others happy with his money has a reward in heaven, and everything he gives becomes a treasure for him in eternity. It is as if he transforms perishable earthly money into what they call “hard currency,” that is, heavenly currency.
The second benefit is that those whom he makes happy will pray for him and bless him, and God accepts their prayers because they come from their hearts.
Another point is that when you spend part of your money, God will bless what remains, and you will find that your money has increased by giving and not decreased, because blessing has entered through what you offered to others in goodness—especially in this era in which high prices have spread and costs have risen in a way that many cannot bear.
Know that every financial help you offer to someone in need, God does not forget it for you; rather, He helps you in your life just as you helped others.
Be fully assured that your true wealth is not merely your balance in banks or what your treasuries store. Rather, your true balance before God is the number of those whom you have made happy by your assistance and your contribution to relieving their distress. How many are they?
Also among your treasures in heaven is what you have contributed to solving people’s problems and the extent of your effort in giving comfort to others. Try, then, to comfort others as much as you can—everyone whom God allows you to meet on the path of life, or those who come to you hoping that you will do good with them.
Therefore, every job you work in, or every responsibility entrusted to you, take it—as much as you are able—as a field for doing good and giving comfort to people, according to what your role permits.
In this, I recall that I once said: the noble employee finds a solution for every problem that comes to him. As for the complicated employee, he tries to create a problem for every solution, thus complicating matters according to his psychological disposition.
Trust that your reputation will follow you after leaving your job or responsibility, and people will issue judgments about you upon which they agree, judging your character according to what you have done.
Store up for yourself also a virtuous life, for your deeds will follow you and stand before you on the fearful day of judgment. Would that your life be entirely goodness—for you and for all people.
And if you do not have money to offer to others, then at least offer them a kind word, or a gentle smile, or encouragement or consolation. Trust that all of this will be stored up for you in heaven.
There are people who have stored up for themselves in heaven beneficial projects for all humanity, or who have offered through their work means for treating the sick or alleviating their pain, or projects that help them live. There are also writers who have offered from their intellectual production what benefits others.
If this is so, then what shall we say about those who fear to give lest their money decrease, while they want it to increase and grow? And what shall we say about those who store up for themselves evil deeds that become a cause of their destruction, or bad traits that they do not wish to change?
Finally, I would like to ask you, dear reader: what have you stored up for yourself in heaven? What is your balance there?
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