I wasn’t really sure what I had signed up for. In fact, I’m still not quite sure. But I do know this. It’s about people.

This past weekend was a difficult one at best. But as he always does, God spoke into the darkness. And there was a challenge issued this Sunday at church. The challenge was simple. Over the next 90 days, invest in the Kingdom. Some weekends I might have let this drop. But not this weekend. God had me right where he wanted me (again): at the end of my rope. And so I accepted the challenge.

My first thought was that I needed to give up my time on Facebook. My time spent on the social media site has grown steadily over the past couple of years, and I could definitely benefit from putting that time into something more productive. But the more I thought about it, even if I spent that time in the Word, it just didn’t seem like the right kind of investment. As I’ve said many times before, some of the most profound conversations I’ve ever had have taken place at Waffle House. And tonight, as I considered what it meant to invest in the Kingdom, I was reminded of one such conversation that took place this past summer. That was the night that my friend Bruce told me about treasures in heaven.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus issues this command: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20) Now, I’ve read those words of the Lord dozens of times, but never before did I understand them. My mind was clouded. I don’t know if I had been taught this way or I just assumed this was the case, but I thought this passage was about receiving a reward. I do the Lord’s will on earth, and he’ll give me treasure in heaven. Tit for tat. Sounds good, right? Actually, listening to myself say it, it sounds very much un-Christian. So what was Jesus talking about?

Look at the words of Jesus. “But store up for yourselves…” Jesus doesn’t say that if we do something he will do something on our behalf. No, he tells us to store up treasure. Well, correct me if I’m wrong, but the last time I checked, I couldn’t exactly visit heaven on a regular basis to store things there. And I’m also pretty certain that nothing that I can possess in this life can be taken there. So again, what was Jesus talking about? The answer is, he was talking about people.

There is only one thing in this life that will continue into the next, and that is people. If the relationships that we cultivate today are Spiritual in nature, then they transcend time. Think about it. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) When this life is over, will I really care about the pain that I faced? Will it really matter if I was out-of-shape? Will anyone be concerned with what I did for a living? Yet the conversations that Bruce and I had about Jesus in the little Waffle House outside of Sunbury will still be relevant. And the most interesting part? The people will be relevant too.

Jesus spent his entire ministry investing in people. Some he healed, some he counseled, some he taught, some he fed, some he rebuked. But all he loved. And all the while, he said the Kingdom of God is near. I’ve been told that the Kingdom of God is the rule and reign of God. And while that may be true, the Kingdom of God is made up of people.

So what exactly did I commit to when I said that I would invest in the Kingdom? I believe that I committed myself to love people. How that plays itself out is yet to be determined. But I do know this: in order to love people, I have to know people. And I think that’s a good place to start.

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