January 23, 2020 – Click here to listen
After purchasing Honey Lake Plantation, I learned that after John F. Kennedy’s assassination Jackie Kennedy spent about a week there. She later moved to another plantation near Thomasville Georgia and stayed several weeks as she recovered from that traumatic event. Subsequently she married Greek shipping magnate Onassis. The wealthy lifestyle this woman led was surrealistic to most people on this planet. It is said she would take a nap in the afternoon and though she had simply laid down for a few minutes without turning down the covers she insisted that fresh sheets be put on the bed on such occasions instead of simply smoothing out any wrinkles.
I flew on a billionaires G5 jet to an event in Houston one time and when I showed up at his private hanger I was surprised to see, not one, but two G-5 jets sitting there, a couple of small planes and two black helicopters. He arrived late in a large black limo. He was sitting in the back seat and waited until his chauffeur got out and opened the door for him. He held his arms out to the side and the chauffer put his suit jacket on him. He strode over to the plane and climbed the steps with his chauffer trailing along behind carrying his briefcase. Once he was onboard and settled in, we were able to board.
I’ve seen many examples of pretentious behavior such as this and yet it never ceases to amaze me. The world these people live in is unreal, though to them it’s their form of normalcy.
Early in my career I was successful as an artist. I delved primarily in selling art to uber-wealthy clients. One such gentleman had accumulated a fortune as Elvis Presley’s record promoter. He multiplied it by founding the largest used car dealership in the United States. He’d built a home on the highest point of land in a very exclusive neighborhood in Atlanta and he told me he sought that particular lot out so he could “look down” on all of his wealthy neighbors. He had an Olympic size pool inside his house and had me paint a beautiful fiberglass reproduction of a sailfish to decorate it. The sailfish was to be hung approximately 25 feet high on a custom- made carpet that had been commissioned just for this purpose. I delivered it and had to climb a shaky extension ladder while lifting the heavy sailfish all of the way up the wobbly ladder. I struggled to get it hung and just as I did this guy started the music that would precede Elvis Presley appearing on stage. It kind of started out slow and progressively got louder. There were two gigantic speakers hung on either side of me and that music was so loud that the extension ladder I was standing on was actually moving from the music vibrations.
I screamed at him and uttered some choice words as I scrambled down the ladder. He was standing on the second floor holding a bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand and was cradling several prescription bottles under his other arm laughing like a hyena. I was mad as a hornet and threatened to walk off the job. I had some touch up to do on the sailfish and refused to do it until he produced several hundred more dollars.
That man ended up being shot in the stomach by his wife and subsequently died. Jackie Onassis died, and the billionaire is still alive. I saw him a couple of years ago at a conference where he was speaking and noticed his chauffeur still trailing along behind him attending to his every need.
Contrast that with Jesus Christ. He owns everything in all of creation, but his humility and humble demeanor has never been exceeded. He didn’t lord his wealth over anyone, nor did he demand that people flutter around getting Him coffee. He didn’t ride in gilded chariots, stay in the finest palaces, nor demand that people wait on Him hand and foot. He chose to be born in a manger; He washed the filthy feet of His disciples after they had been walking dirty dusty roads; He didn’t insist upon the finest seat in the synagogue just because He was wealthy beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.
What an example for us. Bill Gates of Microsoft once said: Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose. This was amplified by Charles Spurgeon when he wrote: True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. If we make Jesus our focus instead of insisting upon us being the center of attention then we can exceed even the wealthiest person residing on this planet in pleasing God.
We just celebrated Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday. I’ve read much about this man and discovered he had his weaknesses just like the rest of us on this planet, but I truly think he was anointed by God. His take on this subject mirrors mine. He said, “Everybody can be great . . . because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
Having tons of money doesn’t make you great, serving our Lord and utilizing our resources to further His kingdom and glorify the precious name of Jesus is greatness. As MLK Jr. said, “You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.
Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.