I spoke to some prisoners in a state prison the other night and after my testimony one of them came up to me. He seemed enamored that I had gone from homeless to wealth and kept asking me questions about the wealth. Wearily I told him that no one would be wearing a Rolex watch into heaven and that money and all material things are not what they are cracked up to be and regardless will be left behind and really shouldn’t be anyone’s focus. He looked at me and coyly asked, “Are you wearing a Rolex”. I answered yes and he asked to see it. I showed it to him and he excitedly said, “This stuff about God is real isn’t it”?
I had just spent thirty minutes telling them that I had gone from being a miserable, twisted, hate filled, bitter and suicidal person all alone in the world to becoming joyful, loving, and at peace; married 41 years with three sons and seven grandkids and friends all over the world, but none of that makes my walk with Jesus real but a stupid Rolex watch does?
I looked at him and sadly shook my head. What has this world come to?
We live in a material world of the here and now. The brevity of this life just does not seem to click with most people that I encounter. I looked in the eyes of this young man and told him that the Bible states that this life is short and eternity is everlasting. I told him my watch would be left behind and all I would take into eternity will be the things I have done on behalf of our Savior and the same would hold true for him.
I asked him to think long term and not short term. I told him that there were plenty of prisoners in that facility who needed to hear the word of God and he could start building his fortune as soon as he returned to his cell. The rewards are great and they are everlasting. Unlike a Rolex watch he could utilize his fortune forever.
I’m sad that I can’t communicate this message about material things being irrelevant more effectively. So many people seem to just want to hear about money which they seem to crave with every ounce of their being; alas the Bible states it will burn up like stubble. Perhaps it is difficult to seek the unseen Spirit of God when confronted with the seen, tangible, and material things of this life, but it is not difficult to imagine dying and entering that unseen spiritual world.
The Egyptians built huge tombs and loaded them with treasure, food and other material items to be used in the afterlife, but anyone who has ever traveled to Egypt or visited a big museum has seen that those treasures didn’t accompany the great Pharaohs on their voyages into the afterlife. They remain behind in those dark vaults awaiting their eventual destruction when Jesus returns. No those great and might Pharaohs entered God’s presence buck naked just like they entered the world.
When we enter that world we will face our God. The Judge of all mankind will be looking for the atoning saving blood of Jesus covering our sins and that is what will make the difference between entering heaven or hell. All things done in His name will enter with us and the material things accumulated in this life will be burned away and all things made new.
I have a friend that told me that how much money we make is just a matter of “how we keep score”. I respectfully disagree. I think the score is kept, not by the amount of wealth that we accumulate on this earth, but by what we do for the Lord. No one can work their way into heaven, but Jesus paid a heavy price for us. If we truly love Him as we say we do, we will want to serve Him with every ounce of our strength while still allowed to live on this earth.
Seek the lasting things in life today won’t you? Yes Jesus Christ is real…Follow Him and not the world.
Matt. 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.