THE TRAGEDY OF A WASTED LIFE - Salvation is a free gift for those who trust in Jesus as the acceptable sacrifice for our sin. He is the only way – no excuses or even sincere beliefs in other "ways" will work - And Jesus promises that when believers die, they immediately find themselves in His presence - Death is inevitable, but at times it surprises us. The parable of the rich man is a warning about such situations. It tells of a man who acquired comfort and wealth but thought only of his time on earth. Death came without warning, and he could take nothing with him. God called him a fool for living focused on "self." Though rich in the world's eyes, the man had no relationship with God and hadn't invested anything in Christ's kingdom. All the treasures he stored here were worthless once he died. What's worse, without Jesus, he would be separated from God forever. What a tragic waste of life. If you were to die today, would you go to heaven? Salvation is a free gift for those who trust in Jesus as the acceptable sacrifice for our sin. He is the only way - no excuses or even sincere beliefs in other "ways" will work. And Jesus promises that when believers die, they immediately find themselves in His presence. What is your life accomplishing? Are you driven by selfish purposes, storing security and wealth for yourself? Or is your motivation to further God's kingdom?

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The tragedy of a wasted life

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Salvation is a free gift for those who trust in Jesus as the acceptable sacrifice for our sin. He is the only way – no excuses or even sincere beliefs in other "ways" will work - And Jesus promises that when believers die, they immediately find themselves in His presence

Charles F. Stanley

^“15 And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’ 

“¹⁶ And he told them a parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷ and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’

^“18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 

“²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 

“²¹ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” - Luke 12:15-21 English Standard Version

Death is inevitable, but at times it surprises us. Perhaps you know someone who died unexpectedly.

Today's parable is a warning about such situations.

It tells of a man who acquired comfort and wealth but thought only of his time on earth.

Death came without warning, and he could take nothing with him. God called him a fool for living focused on "self."

Though rich in the world's eyes, the man had no relationship with God and hadn't invested anything in Christ's kingdom.

All the treasures he stored here were worthless once he died.

What's worse, without Jesus, he would be separated from God forever. What a tragic waste of life.

As I think about this person's choices, two questions come to mind that are important for all of us to contemplate.

First, if you were to die today, would you go to heaven?

Salvation is a free gift for those who trust in Jesus as the acceptable sacrifice for our sin.

He is the only way -- no excuses or even sincere beliefs in other "ways" will work.

And Jesus promises that when believers die, they immediately find themselves in His presence (2 Corinthians 5:6).

Second, what is your life accomplishing? Are you driven by selfish purposes, storing security and wealth for yourself?

Or is your motivation to further God's kingdom?

Like the man in this parable, we don't know when we will die.

We do know, however, that death is inescapable.

Though dying is an unpleasant topic, eternity is a long time and worthy of our attention.

It's definitely a wise investment to make sure of your salvation and to invest in God's kingdom.

Charles F. Stanley is the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. While his teaching is transmitted throughout the world to millions of people, Dr. Stanley has been said to demonstrate a practical, keen awareness of people's needs and provide Christ-centered, biblically-based principles for everyday life.

Dr. Stanley’s motivation is best represented by the truth found in Acts 20:24, “Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness and love.” This is because, as he says, “It is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives.”

https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/in-touch/in-touch-sept-26-2012.html