Store Up Your Treasures in Heaven

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:19-21)

We are to think of heaven when facing:

trials

suffering and affliction

persecution

death

the death of a loved one

temptation

disappointments about life on earth

opportunities to show love to others

opportunities for ministry

directives from our spiritual leaders

being influenced by doctrinal error

discouragement in our Christian walk

increased affluence

spiritual apathy (opposite of diligence)

arrogant thoughts about our past accomplishments

self-exalting desires and circumstances

If you value eternal things (if you are more concerned about storing up heavenly treasures than earthly ones), it will be a relatively simple thing for you to overcome your struggle with being a people-pleaser. Not that it will be easy. It will still require much effort, considerable amounts of time, and restructuring your thoughts as you depend on the Holy Spirit for His enabling grace. (Priolo, 236)

But to the degree that you have a temporal value system (to the extent that you are more focused on enjoying earthly pleasures than heavenly ones), you will find the teachings and reproofs of this book very hard to swallow, and the practical guidelines for correction and training in righteousness very tedious indeed. If you find yourself in this latter category, let me urge you to begin your journey by confessing your sin of worldliness to God. Then ask Him to give you the grace to love Christ "with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength" (you will not be able to love God's approval more than man's approval if you don't love Him as you should), and to "set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:2). And be patient--God will probably not wean you of your love of the world overnight. It will take time, effort, and thought to refocus your spiritual eyes, but in the end it will be worth it. (Priolo, 236)

Lou Priolo, Pleasing People: How Not To Be An Approval Junkie (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007) 217-236.