Midweek Musing- September 17, 2025

Midweek Musing: Treasures That Last

In his book The Road to Character, New York Times columnist David Brooks contrasts two sets of virtues.

He dubs them the “resumé virtues” and the “eulogy virtues.”

Resumé virtues are the achievements the world tells us to pursue—success, status, wealth, and recognition. These are the things that look impressive on paper but often fade quickly with time. Many of these can be measured. Researchers would say this was quantitative data.

Eulogy virtues, on the other hand, are the deeper far more personal qualities that people will remember when our days on earth are complete: kindness, faithfulness, honesty, generosity, courage, and love. These are the qualitative stories we find in research.

And while quantitative can be easily graphed and put in excel sheets, few of us remember these things long term. However, stories of kindness and humility and courageousness often live beyond life in this world.

Jesus put it this way:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”—Matthew 6:19–21

The culture around us often tempts us to measure life by outward markers of success, things like job titles, promotions, plaques, test scores, tax brackets, fancy cars, vacation homes, or the latest gadget on the market.

In contrast The New Testament narratives remind us that the truest measure of life is found in how we love God and love one another. That is why the Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13 that even the greatest accomplishments are nothing if love is absent.

Not long ago, a parent reached out to me. When I hear from parents, 99% of the time it is because they’re mad or upset or “concerned” about an issue or wanting to share some problem.

But this time was different. This parent wanted me to know about something a teacher had done for their child. The child was having a rough morning—anxious, hesitant, and unsure about the day ahead. Instead of rushing them along, this teacher knelt down, gave a hug, spoke gently, and reminded the student that they were safe, loved, and capable. The parent said, “That simple moment changed the whole day for my child.”

What the teacher did that day couldn’t be seen or measured. It wasn’t about test scores or curriculum pacing maps or lesson goals and success criteria. It was about a teacher’s choice to embody empathy and kindness in a moment that mattered. That teacher may not even remember the words spoken or even the encounter, but the parent will never forget them—and neither will the child. That is the kind of treasure Jesus was talking about: the things that cannot be taken away, the things that echo into eternity.

Building eulogy virtues is not simply about preparing for what people will say when we are gone. It is about rehearsing now the life of God’s kingdom—the promised day yet to come.

Friends, every act of kindness, every word of encouragement, every faithful step in service is a rehearsal for eternal life. We practice generosity here because God’s kingdom is marked by abundance. We practice forgiveness here because heaven is a place of mercy. We practice compassion here because the heart of God is steadfast love. In these moments, we don’t just rehearse eternity - we catch a glimpse of it.

The kingdom of heaven draws near whenever kindness triumphs over indifference, whenever mercy interrupts judgment, whenever love overcomes fear.

Micah 6:8 reminds us that what the Lord requires is not flashy or headline-worthy: “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” These are not resumé virtues. They are eulogy virtues. They are treasures in heaven. They are the threads with which God is weaving the fabric of the kingdom.

When we live this way, we are “storing up” treasures in heaven, treasures that neither rust nor fade. And in the process, we discover that our hearts are being shaped by the very character of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life for the sake of the world.

So, this week, may we seek less to polish our resumés and more to deepen our eulogies. May we ask not, “How can I get ahead?” but rather, “How can I show love?”

May we live in such a way that our lives are already proclaiming “that which we pray for—that God’s kingdom might be lived out here on earth as it is in heaven.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Alleluia Amen.