Last Saturday, I was in a Zoom reunion with my high school classmates, and the theme was retirement planning. A key issue discussed was whether one has enough income, such as from investments, to support oneself and spouse after stopping from work. For some, retirement comes with little foresight and planning leaving them dependent on the kindness of others. To avoid such a predicament, many early-career workers are dreaming of financial security.

There is nothing necessarily wrong with planning for our future needs. Indeed, there are numerous references materials out there on financial planning, some of them authored by Christians. Since most of us will eventually get old and retire from work, it’s prudent to plan for life after your career. One common motive of many is they don’t want to burden others. Still, others want to have resources to pursue their passion, including serving in the Lord’s ministry.

However, in the search for financial security, countless numbers are forgetting a far more profound riches. Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20). In this passage, He distinguished between two types of treasure. There are treasures on earth, and most people are pre-occupied with those kinds of riches. The problem with this type of possessions is that they are temporal and could easily be lost. Indeed, in the end, we will leave all material things when we depart from this world.

In stark contrast, the second type of riches is those stored in heaven. These refer to the things given to us by God in His grace. Foremost among them is the salvation that Jesus procured for His people through His perfect life and death on the cross. As a result, all true believers have fellowship with God. When they die, they will go to heaven to enjoy such spiritual riches that beggar our imagination.

By the eye of faith, we can “see” these heavenly riches. Sadly, more people devote their time and energy in pursuing the fleeting riches of this world. May the pandemic reminds us of how precarious life is in this world. The question therefore is, are we rich in the sight of God?

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