By: D. Cerullo
“When Jesus saw this, he said, ‘How hard it is for
the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! In fact, it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of
God!’”
– Luke 18:24-25 NLT
The
riches of this world provide a constant temptation. So powerful is their pull
that they can shape our thoughts and capture our hearts. History, in fact, is
filled with tragic examples of this pattern.
In
his book, Den of Thieves,
James Stewart reveals how, in the scandal that rocked Wall Street in the 1980s,
people became caught up in lifestyles that distorted their values. One of the
most famous was Michael Milken, who headed the bond-trading department for
Drexel Burnham Lambert.
Milken
saw great potential in “junk bonds.” By 1986, his department generated profits
so huge that they were entitled to more than $700 million in bonuses. Milken
kept $550 million of this for himself. But he did not think this was enough,
and he became angry with Drexel’s chairman.
Eventually,
he had to pay more than $1 billion in fines, and he was sentenced to 10 years
in prison. Milken paid a high price for his greed and learned that these
temporary rewards don’t last.
Jesus
tried to teach these principles to a rich young man, asking him to “come follow me.” He
encouraged him to “sell
all he had.” But the man sadly just walked away. Why? “Because he was very rich.”
He made his choice, and turned his back on God (vs. 22-23).
Today,
you have choices to make. You can choose to seek wealth and fame and pursue
pleasure and greatness in this world. But you, too, will discover that all of
these things are temporary. In contrast, the riches that last come from serving
God.
Right
now, make sure your priorities are clear. Lay everything aside to seek first the Kingdom
of God.
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