If I could share anything with you on the topic of giving, it would be my profound amazement that God would give us something so basic – money – to help to tie our hearts to eternity and to free us from earthly cares.

 Richard Foster wrote a book entitled, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth.  There is a chapter in the book about the discipline of simplicity.  Foster discusses simplicity by saying,

“The central point for the Discipline of simplicity is to seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of His Kingdom first and then everything necessary will come in its proper order…Focus upon the Kingdom produces the inward reality, and without the inward reality we will degenerate into legalistic trivia.  Nothing else can be central.  The desire to get out of the rat race cannot be central, the redistribution of the world’s wealth cannot be central, the concern for ecology cannot be central…The inward reality of simplicity involves a life of joyful unconcern for possessions.  Neither the greedy nor the miserly know this liberty.  It has nothing to do with abundance of possessions or their lack.  It is an inward spirit of trust.”  

Foster eloquently explains that to seek God’s Kingdom means to trust God first…it never means to implement a legalistic program or to seek an earthly agenda first.  However, in my line of work, I’m often confronted by how truly HARD it is to have a Kingdom mindset in this earthly existence.  How does a person cultivate a Kingdom mindset?  How do we practically seek first the Kingdom of God?

While I believe that the answer to that question is a complicated one, and often goes back to our own time with the Lord and our relationship with Him, I do think that Jesus answers the question for us in Scripture.

Luke 12:22-34 is a passage where Jesus talks about letting go of earthly concern and placing trust in God’s care and provision.  The passage closes in verses 32 – 34 (NKJV) when Christ says, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

So, Jesus’ answer to developing a Kingdom mindset is to put our treasure where we want our heart to be.  Treasure is financial, of course, but it is so much more.  We are all blessed with relationships, with time, with skills, with gifts, etc.  One practical way that we can cultivate a Kingdom mindset and place our trust in God is by choosing to put our treasure in areas of Kingdom interest.  

This Christmas season, we celebrate God sending His precious treasure to us.  We celebrate the Kingdom of God interrupting the confusion of mankind.  God’s heart was with us, so He sent His treasure to us.  Now He lives in our hearts and frees us from the tyranny of Satan’s kingdom. 

Cultivating a Kingdom mindset is not about doing more.  It is not even about giving more or knowing more.  Rather, cultivating a Kingdom mindset is about investing the treasure we have into the places where we are being called to follow God’s heart.  

Whatever you do with your treasure in your home this season to worship God for His gift to us through Jesus, I pray that you would be able to take the time to absorb the beauty of the moment and the quiet glory of the season.

May God’s peace encourage you as you pursue financial wisdom and depend on His Truth.