July 6 - Hope in Wealth?

July 6 – Hope in Wealth?

“Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.  But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Save me from all my transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools.” (Psalm 39:6-8)

We do everything in our power to avoid being caught unawares at the end of our lives, don’t we!  There are trust funds for our kids, funeral plans are all made, along with cremation and burial plans.  The last thing we want to have happen is leaving this world without ensuring everything is in its place. 

For the most part, the only surprising thing about death for many of us is how and when it is going to happen. 

Most financial planners would tell you that this is the only way to live well.  Fully assured of how everything will continue after we have died.

The problem is – this is not the legacy we should be leaving our family and friends.  Sure, they’ll think good thoughts of us as they see our families continue to live in the manner in which they are accustomed.  We can look forward with pride to the nice things they’ll say about us.

Is that really what we want to be said in our memory?  That we provided for our family, that we made sure all of our bills were paid and had planned well throughout our lives?

When each of my parents died, we received a lot of mail and phone calls from people who had been touched by those two people throughout their lives.  The three of us kids didn’t get any large financial inheritance and while that might have made our lives easier for the moment, it would only be temporary.

The joy of their lives was the fact that there are many people whose lives were changed because my parents shared the glory of God’s love with them.  These people have gone on to touch others around them and the network of changed lives has expanded throughout the years.

Our hope doesn’t lie in the fleeting things of this world.  Our hope lies in the Lord.  Our time spent creating wealth and bustling around only serves to anchor us to a very temporary life – one that will end some day, with or without notice.

Mom knew her death was approaching; Dad was probably surprised by his, but both had invested their lives in people and in sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ – the hope for eternity with God.