The Illusion of Time and Money

Have you ever thought about the value of your time here on this earth?

I was recently reflecting on the life of my brother, who was dear to me. He was a man’s man. He seemed larger than life, to the younger me, who was just a child when he was a teenager. He was strong, athletic, charming, and very popular. My brother suffered from back pain for many years.

When he was in his mid-50’s, he needed to have back surgery. As the surgeons began the operation, they opened him and saw he was riddled with cancer. The doctors quickly closed him up, and informed us of the somber news. Briefly thereafter, he died. It all happened so quickly, it was just a shock to us.

Treasures in Heaven

Time and money: they are a great tool, but terrible masters. We put so much of our confidence in time and money. Jesus dealt with both of these issues. He said:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV

The Cost of Discipleship

Matthew 8:21-22 recounts the story the cost of discipleship. One of the disciples told Jesus he needed to go bury his father before going with Him. “But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead’. “ (v.21, NKJV) In other words, the time is now!

When Tom Brady went to his first Super Bowl, Circuit City, Blockbuster, and Sears were all advertisers. They were financial giants in the world. If you would have told us they would all go bankrupt and vanish, we would not have believed you. One moment there may be plenty, and in the next moment it may all disappear.

How Will You Spend Your Last Days?

What if we all walked around this world with a number on our arm that represented the number of days we had left on this earth? Would we treat the person differently that had 22 days left versus the person who had 1,000 days? Time and money are elusive.

I’m not saying that we are necessarily foolish or carefree with our time and money, because they are great tools. In the same way, we need tools to build a house. However, we don’t show off the tools. We use them for a specific purpose; to build the house. Time and money are tools to help us get through daily life because, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 NKJV

If I told you, your days were nearing an end, would you make different choices? Would you treat people differently, more kindly? The reality is, we are all dying. Barring the return of Jesus, no one is getting out of here alive.

Let’s just hold time and money a little more carefully. Use them wisely. Make the most out of each day, love one another, and invest in people. Time and money are the two most precious resources we have. Let’s invest them in people.

For More Information

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