“But when Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, it is not just because wealth might be lost; it’s because wealth will always be lost. Either it leaves us while we live or we leave it when we die. No exceptions…
‘Store up for yourselves.’ Doesn’t it seem strange that Jesus commands us to do what’s in our own best interests? Wouldn’t that be selfish? No…
Selfishness is when we pursue gain at the expense of others. But God doesn’t have a limited number of treasures to distribute. When you store up treasures for yourself in heaven, it doesn’t reduce the treasures available to others. In fact, it is by serving God and others that we store up heavenly treasures. Everyone gains; no one loses…
By telling us to store up treasures for ourselves in heaven, He [Jesus] gives us a breathtaking corollary, which I call the Treasure Principle: You can’t take it with you–but you can send it on ahead.”
Randy Alcorn in The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2001) 13, 16, 18.