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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.
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.
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.”
