The reporter told of watching a couple pick up a mug from the debris of what was once their home. This mug was all that was left of a lifetime of mementos Hurricane Sandy has left thousands in similar conditions. I am sure many of you, like me, are filled with mixed emotions as you watch report after report—aware of how blessed I am and thankful for being safe and dry in my own home, but at the same time numb from seeing so much devastation and so many hurting people. Once again, for me it brings to mind the fragile vulnerability of this earthly life.
Over thirty years ago the Holy Spirit put a question in my heart that has been a guidepost ever since. “Where will you be 100 years from today?” The answer to that was all too obvious—I will be dead and buried. A second question arose out of that thought. What will remain from my brief time on earth? Will any of my valued earthly possessions be valued by anyone else? Will anyone even remember my existence other than a descendent searching the family genealogical record at Ancestry.com? Will my life as a Christian have made any lasting effects?
We all accumulate material possessions, some of which we highly value. Through the years as I have pondered these questions, I look around at the material possession I value and wonder how long before a descendent will throw them away. I have my diplomas hanging in my office that for me symbolize and remind me of years of hard work to earn them. But, I realize someday someone will find them of no value and put them in trash. I look at my mounted animal trophies hanging on the wall and have fond memories of the thrill of hunting in the cold and rain or sitting quiet and motionless for hours in a tree stand. Yet, someday someone will put them in their attic and forget them or will put them on Craigslist under the ‘free’ category.
Some people spent every moment of their life striving for recognition and fame often at the cost of families and true happiness. Probably only a trivia buff would know that Harrison Dillard won the Olympics 100 meter dash in 1948 after practicing 8 hours per day; 7 days per week; 5-10 years. Or how many could tell you that Jeremiah Black was the Secretary of State under Lincoln. Years of work for a brief moment of recognition, and then forgotten in pages of history.
Even today, the world would classify King Solomon as one of the most noted and wealthiest men of the world. His yearly income in gold alone was $3.2 billion. He was an accomplished botanist, astronomer, agriculturist, and an expert in religious science. A man, we would say ‘had it made.’ However, at a point in his life, he turned his eyes to the future and realized there was an end in sight. Where would he be in a 100 years? What would become of all his wealth and his accomplishments? In the book of Ecclesiastes, he writes of his successes but sums them all up with the words, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (KJV) or “Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (NIV). Solomon recognized all he had done and all his possessions meant little in the scheme of eternity.
Jesus said, “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. The literal wording here says do not treasure up treasures. He is not condemning earthly possessions, but warning of the accumulation of them becoming the focus for our life. Jesus says they will not last. Moths will eat them, rust will destroy them, or thieves will take them. Plus, we cannot take them with us.
The only treasures that will last are those we treasure up in heaven. We do that by living our lives for God, doing His will, and focusing our energies on Him. These treasures will be there 100 years from today, in fact, for all eternity. Jesus also said that if we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, He will provide all the necessities of life and even give us the desires of our heart.
All we can do for the people devastated by Sandy is pray for them and donate to groups that are legitimately helping them rebuild. As it has for me, let it be a reminder of the fragile vulnerability of this earthly life.
Sustaining Word for the Week:
Where will you be a 100 years from today? What value will your work and ministry have in 100 years?