You Don't Need More Time - You Need a Better Treasure
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Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19–21 strike like lightning:
“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… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
These verses sit within the Sermon on the Mount, where Christ describes the life of kingdom citizens. He presses beyond surface religion to the hidden motives of the heart.
Here, Jesus exposes the reality that treasure is not neutral. It reveals desire, directs love, and ultimately exposes worship. What we treasure will either perish or endure. Earthly treasure rots; heavenly treasure endures in God’s presence. And in that line—“where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”—Christ reveals the inseparable link between what we value and who we truly are.
When we speak of “margin,” we mean those discretionary spaces of time and energy beyond what is necessary to survive. Margin is not merely rest; it is what we choose when we’re not forced. And it is in those free spaces that our true treasure shows itself. If our margin is consumed by endless scrolling, binge-watching, or chasing status, our desires are exposed. But if our margin bends toward worship, service, and love, our treasure is in heaven.
What is your treasure?
Theological Perspective
God’s Sovereignty: The Lord owns all things. Every breath, every hour, every resource is His gift and under His rule (Psalm 24:1). We are not autonomous beings but stewards of what belongs to God. The margin in our lives is not self-owned; it is entrusted.
Human Need: Our natural state, apart from grace, is to misuse that stewardship. We exchange the glory of God for fleeting trinkets (Romans 1:23). We believe the lie that earthly treasure will satisfy, but instead, our souls wither. Left to ourselves, our margins are consumed by idolatry.
Christ’s Redeeming Work: The gospel is that Christ came to reorder our loves. By His perfect obedience, He treasured His Father above all, even to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). By His resurrection, He breaks the chains of our disordered desires and by His Spirit implants new affections that treasure Him above all. Our margin, then, is not simply a discipline to master but a testimony to grace received.
Gospel Connection
At the heart of Jesus’ teaching is not merely behavior modification but heart transformation. The law exposes what we love; the gospel changes what we love. Think of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19. He had margin, wealth, and resources. But when Jesus told him to sell his possessions and follow Him, he walked away sorrowful because his treasure was exposed. His margin revealed his master.
By contrast, consider Zacchaeus, after encountering Christ’s grace, experienced radical transformation. His heart shifted. He freely gave away half his goods and repaid fourfold those he defrauded. His margin became a channel for generosity and worship because his worldly treasure (money) was replaced with eternal treasure (faith in Jesus).
The good news is that Christ, the true Treasure of heaven, became poor for our sake so that we might become rich in Him (2 Corinthians 8:9). By union with Christ, believers are freed from slavery to earthly treasure and drawn into the joy of eternal treasure. Our margin, then, becomes an echo of His redeeming love.
What does your margin communicate about the state of your heart?
Biblical Thread
This theme of treasure and margin are intertwined across Scripture:
Joshua 24:15 – “Choose this day whom you will serve…” Margin is where this choice shows itself, not just in emergencies but in ordinary time.
Psalm 90:12 – “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Time is short, and how we spend it testifies to what we truly believe and truly love.
Colossians 3:1–2 – “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is… Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on earth.” Treasure is linked with affection, and affection is revealed in how we steward time.
Ephesians 5:15–16 – “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time…” Redeemed people redeem their time, spending their margin growing in Christ and seeking to advance Christ’s kingdom agenda.
Luke 12:34 – Jesus repeats it plainly: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Life Application
If your margin reveals your treasure, then the question is: what does your margin say about what your truly treasure the most?
Reflect:
Head (Truth): Do I believe that my time ultimately belongs to God? Where has cultural pressure deceived me into thinking my time is my own?
Heart (Affections): What do I instinctively do when I have free time? Does my heart gravitate toward Christ, His people, and His mission, or toward distractions, self-centered pursuits, or worldly waste of time?
Hands (Action): In the next week, how can I deliberately reallocate my margin to align with God’s kingdom priorities?
Practical Steps
Audit Your Margin: Track your “free” time for a week. Notice where your attention naturally drifts. This will reveal your functional treasure.
Re-center Daily: Begin each day by asking: “How can my margin today be used to love God and love neighbor?”
Replace, Don’t Just Remove: Don’t only cut out wasted time, replace it with habits that aim your heart toward heaven (Scripture meditation, prayer, serving, discipling).
Leverage Ordinary Moments: Redeeming margin doesn’t always mean adding more; it means transforming what’s already there. Try using your commute for prayer, turning family dinner into discipleship, or inviting others into your hobbies.
Anchor Eternally: Remember that heavenly treasure is not stored by grand gestures but by daily faithfulness (Matthew 25:21). Even unseen obedience in your margin matters eternally.
Your margin preaches about your values. It tells a story of what you actually love, beyond your confessions. In Christ, you are not enslaved to the vanity of wasted time, but freed to delight in the King who first treasured you.
The call is not to add one more burden but to recognize: Christ is your Treasure, and heaven is your home.
Spend your margin accordingly.