In Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus applies this principle to “treasure” and I would encourage you to read it so it gives “focus” to what we are discussing.
Where is your treasure?
Treasure.What do we think of when you consider that? Is it buried treasure? (pieces of 8) Or if you live in the UK do you think of the Crown Jewels in the tower of London? Perhaps you picture a precious item of jewellery you own.

However, Jesus extends the idea of financial wealth in this scripture. He is really saying to them that treasure is anything in this life which becomes all consuming and which the heart is upon constantly. You become totally dependent upon it for your well being and future happiness and have confidence in it above all other things.

Now that is a mouthful but I want you to think of it carefully.
We all have things that are important to us but consider for a moment what is the most important thing to you? Is it your house, your family, your job? Is it people you just cant live without?  Are you striving to get to some place in your life and do you think once you get there everything will just fall into place?

Well, Jesus here warns us that if having “stuff” is where our focus is, if that is where our priorities in life lie we are choosing wrongly.
Notice this Jesus is not saying don’t have a treasure or don’t have a focus in life but change the choice of what that focus will be.
Change from the world and earthly things to heaven and Kingdom things. What is more He gives us a good reason to keep our focus there.

“Neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves don’t break in and steal”

a) Corruption from within.
The first example is taken from a moth messing up fine clothes. The thought being that you have something you think is safe only to find that moths have got in and spoiled it. So what you were thinking you could rely on was all the time being eaten away.
People used to try to protect clothing with moth balls (my experience is it just stinks the whole cupboard out) I am not sure it really worked.

Another example of rust is something that develops in metal.
In this case even if it starts out good eventually it develops canker or moss or tarnish and so instead of growing better by focusing on it, rather it deteriorates despite your best efforts.

However if your priority and focus is on Jesus and Kingdom things nothing is going to spoil or corrupt from within.

1 Peter 1:23 says we are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible through the Word of God, which lives and abides forever

b) Corruption from outside
In other words Jesus says it is folly to make things our treasure which could easily be stolen or taken away from us. How often do you see people totally devastated when something is lost or stolen because their whole focus of life was on that thing.

Placing your Priority on heaven is what Jesus provides as the alternative.

1) There are treasures there, which are absolutely as sure for us to focus on as there are in the world. These are true riches that are at God’s right hand, which we can attain to.

2) It is wisdom to lay up our treasure there. Why? Because that is where our future happiness really lies so that is where our focus should be. We must be sure to trust God that there is great happiness there so we settle for nothing short of it

3) We are encouraged to place our focus there and give our finance there because it is safe. The only thing that can spoil it is if we ourselves change our focus and stop placing our priority there and place it elsewhere instead

Verse 21 of this passage says “where your treasure is there your heart will be also”.
You know you can make all kinds of mistakes in life, have all kinds of regrets, but this statement is good news because it allows us to change our focus in life. When we do our heart will follow. No matter what has gone wrong in the past if we start now to keep our life priority fixed on Jesus we will succeed in life.

Go on check out today with God. Where is your focus and priority in life? If you have to admit it is all messed up then change your focus. God is always there to help you. He will never let you down.