At 60, John was proud of his achievements. Born into a poor home, he studied hard and won a scholarship to study Economics in London. After graduating, he returned to Singapore as a banker. H worked hard and was successful.
John had a very sharp acumen for investments and was able to sniff out good deals before others were aware of them. Over 30 years, he accumulated a portfolio of properties and shares worth 30 million. This nest egg was John's pride and joy. He often boasted about his investment successes to his friends.
Tragedy struck before he could enjoy his wealth. Diagnosed with liver cancer, and given 2 years to live, his illness did not dampen his zeal for acquisition and investment. Instead of slowing down and comtemplating his mortality, John continued to trade in properties and shares, as if nothing was wrong.
One day, John went to his friend's office, seeking more business opportunities. Peter was a committed Christian and he tried to persuade John to consider the best offer ever made to men- the greatest gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ without having to pay for it. It would be the best decision that John could ever make as a savvy investor.
Sadly, John was not interested. To him, God, sin, heaven, hell, and eternal life were just airy-fairy ideas. Having a portfolio of 30 million was the real thing. That day, John left Peter's office empty handed, without hope and without God.
Two weeks, later, John died from his cancer. He acquired so much for this life but nothing for his next. What a tragedy.
This story reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 16:26.
"What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Jesus teaches that our soul is worth more than all the riches of this world. Our soul is precious because it is created to last for eternity while the treasures of this world will ultimately fade.
So how would this understanding affect our daily life?
1. We need to nourish our precious soul. Take time and effort to nurture it daily through Christian disciplines, such as prayer, Bible reading, worship and fellowship.
2. We need to set our minds on things above and persue those things that have eternal value (Col 3:1-2, Matt 6:19-21) and focus less of our energy and time on physical treasures of this earth because they do not last.
3. We need to develop an urgency to bring our loved ones and friends into God's kingdom. Their souls are valuable to God, and they will be lost forever if they die without hope and without Christ.
So let us be wise in our daily living, always having an eternal perspective of our soul and its worth!
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That's the reflections I found behind the Sunday bulletin!
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He gave her roses.
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