Where’s Your Stockpile?
I remember the story of the man who went to heaven and was immediately greeted by Simon Peter.
“Welcome,” said Peter. “Let find your mansion where you will be spending eternity.”
As they walk down the street, the man was amazed at the size of the mansions! He started getting excited about the residence that Peter was leading him to. They kept walking and walking until they came to the end of the street.
The man acted puzzled and asked Peter: “Where’s my mansion?” Peter pointed to a very small dwelling set back from the road. “That’s my house?” said the man. “Why it’s no comparison to the other homes on the street. Why do I get this small dwelling while the other people on the street get huge mansions?”
Peter said, “Well, it’s like this. All the value you placed upon relationships on earth translates into building materials here in heaven. Did you not read the Scripture?”
Jesus told His disciples: "Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being (Matthew 6:19-21,MSG).”
Peter said, “The reason you permanent dwelling is so small is because that’s all the building materials you sent us up here to work with.”
This illustration makes good sense! Why stockpile so much here on earth, which is temporal, and forsake your stockpile in heaven, which is eternal. Everything that we gather here on earth will not make it to heaven. Have you ever seen a U-Haul following a hearse?
John D. Rockefeller was once considered the richest man in history. When he died, the lawyer who handled his estate was asked by a reporter, “How much money did Rockefeller leave behind?” The lawyer paused for just a moment and said with sincerity, “All of it.”
The only things that we take with us to heaven are relationships and the value we place on them. And if that value translates into building materials, what will our dwelling look like in heaven?
