Knowing where our focus must be is good, but that knowledge does not necessarily make it so. Surrounded as we are by a pagan world and given our sinful natures, we find it very easy to chase after money. Thoughts of profit and progress are part of our DNA, part of what it means to be a citizen on earth. As I said before, we all want the comfort of riches rather than the hardships of poverty. How then are we going to keep ourselves from being consumed by money? What kind of disciplines and practices can we adopt to change our focus from laying up earthly treasures to heavenly ones?

If we think back to what we have already seen in Jesus’ sermon, then a good starting place is only a few verses earlier in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–14). When we pray for God to give us our daily bread, not only are we acknowledging him to be our provider, but we are also learning to limit our desires. Give us our daily bread, we pray; give us what we need for service on our earthly pilgrimage; help us to be content with food, clothing and shelter, so to speak.

This is not a prayer for a middleclass lifestyle, nor a prayer for comfort and plenty. A nice car, a big home and a secure retirement are good things which we would all want to have, but they are not part of our daily bread. They are a privilege that goes beyond what we need— a privilege and not a right. That does not mean we cannot seek to find a better-paying job or make a plan to increase our monthly income. We can be creative in our work and there is nothing wrong with money in itself. But we must be cautious of falling in with the world and allowing money to drive all our decisions. Give us our daily bread: we must learn to be content with less; we must train ourselves for simple living.

Training ourselves for simple living will also have an impact on the choices we make when it comes to jobs or the places we choose to study. So often, the decision about career is driven mainly by the promise of more income. A job in another town or country will pay more. A degree from a certain university will open doors. Focused on procuring more and more resources there is often little thought for how our decisions square with the will of God and the purposes of his kingdom. A certain career may allow you to buy a dream home and live in greater comfort, but what will it mean for your attendance at worship on the Lord’s Day? A job in another town may pay more, but is there a true church which you can join and where you can be nourished and fed with God’s Word? Likewise, when we go to study, we do not want to go to a place where we will be all on our own.

These kinds of questions often take the back seat where they should be front and centre. If we want to be strengthened for a life of service to God, then the means of grace must be primary. Following the example of Christ, we must learn to live without luxuries for the sake of the kingdom. The will of God must come before my plans for my comfort. And if that means taking a lower paid job or studying closer to home, then so be it. We are not living for earthly treasures; we seek to please our Father.

But what if I am attending a true church and I am praying the Lord’s Prayer? Is there more that can be done to keep me focused on Christ and guard my heart against a love of money? Well, if you are regularly attending worship in a true church, then you will be challenged by God’s Word. Your desires for money will be exposed in the light of God’s truth–not only as you hear the warnings of Christ, but also as you contemplate his love. The promise that God cares for you as a Father. The promise that he will look after you and that you enjoy his favour because of your faith in his Son. The good news of Jesus’ work in our place and on our behalf is good news that will stimulate our generosity and change our loves. As we spend time in God’s presence, the Holy Spirit will be at work in us to grow our love for God and wean us from our love for money.

On top of that, we can also check our hearts by measuring our giving. Now I do not mean to suggest that giving frees us from a love for money or collecting earthly treasures. It is very possible that you could be giving a tenth or more of your income and still be consumed by a desire to expand your possessions. Still, it does provide an objective measure. If we are not willing to give in proportion to our income, if our giving is the last item on our budget, leftovers after consumption, well, then we are clearly in danger of chasing after money. Bringing your giving in line with Biblical standards is a practical means by which you can guard your heart. It will be painful, it will be costly, it even must be costly–you will have to say no to certain things you may have wanted. But we are not here for earthly treasure. Our focus is God and his kingdom, not our own.

Our Lord Jesus has made us to share in heavenly inheritance. Where we struggle with a love for money, he was content to trust his Father, and as a result of his life and death, we can be confident that God will not cast us away. Our sinful love for money is a sin that has been forgiven in Christ. Through faith in him we are assured of God’s favour. He will care for us, he will look after us in this world. Let us therefore be focused on serving God our master. Let us focus our lives on seeking his will and pleasure rather than our own. And let us keep our hearts from a love of money by sharing what we have with others and learning to be content with less.