Fleeting or Forever

Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich…Riches disappear in the blink of an eye; wealth sprouts wings and flies off into the wild blue yonder. – Proverbs 23:4-5 (MSG)

Many years ago, my husband and I got to vacation together (without the kids) in Vail, Colorado.  Dan’s business partner had given us the keys to his multimillion dollar house for two days as a gift.  We were awed by the luxury of it all.  A state of the art kitchen, four poster feather beds, enormous marble bathrooms, and a wraparound deck overlooking the infinity pool and the beautiful Rocky Mountains.  

I remember at one point hearing a line from a Toby Mac song streaming from the house’s surround sound speakers: “I don’t want to gain the whole world and lose my soul.”  I quickly tuned the words out, though, as I dreamed of one day being rich enough to buy a place like this. Yes, this is how I wanted to live… and I told my husband so. 

Within a few months, like millions of other American families in 2008, our financial world was rocked.  My husband lost a job that had provided half our income, and a house in Vail seemed a million miles away. I kept hearing Toby Mac on the radio… “I don’t want to gain the whole world and lose my soul.”  

After a little searching, I found that he got this verse from Mark 8:36. In it, Jesus was teaching that if we spend our time and energy running after possessions, power and prestige, we’ll ultimately fall short of what our souls truly long for.  God wants us to seek Him first and run to Him for all we need.  He has plans for our lives that are much richer and more rewarding than amassing worldly wealth.

When I began to seek God to guide us out of our financial crisis, He opened my eyes to the free gifts He’d already given my family.  Our salvation was free.  His love was free.  And all the good gifts I enjoyed every day were from His generous hands (James 1:17).

Proverbs 23 warns us that riches disappear and wealth flies away.  But God’s presence is always available.  He promises to be found when we seek Him (Jer. 29:13).  He also promises to be our sure foundation, a rich store of salvation, our treasure (Isaiah 33:6).

Instead of pursuing worldly wealth, satisfy your soul by pursuing the One who is forever, and never disappears during tough times.  When you seek God first and thank Him for all your good gifts, He is storing up eternal treasures in heaven for you (Matt. 6:20). 

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