BBD 03.22.06 Gaining the World
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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03.22.06
Gaining the World
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires
to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will
find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and
loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For
the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and
then He will reward each according to his works. - Matthew 16:24-27.
Here is a quote from Jim Carrey that is a quote I think everyone should read
or hear and take to heart. Jim says, "I think everybody should get rich and
famous and (get) everything they ever dreamed of, so they can see that it's
not the answer. You get famous and say, 'Well, if I do just one more thing
that's really successful,' then one more thing after that, and then you just
start getting tired of being disappointed in the outcome as far as your
emotions go. 'That was a fantastic hit, but what now?' 'Thank God I learned
that lesson. Only a moment with my daughter will make me happy, or having
dinner with people I love.'" Talking about one famous and indicted CEO,
Carrey says, "I think there's a giant God-shaped hole in him that can't be
filled, and he's trying to fill it with money."
Solomon in Ecclesiastes tells us much the same: "He who loves silver will
not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase.
This also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them; so
what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes? The sleep of
a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance
of the rich will not permit him to sleep. There is a severe evil which I
have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt. But those
riches perish through misfortune; when he begets a son, there is nothing in
his hand. As he came from his mother's womb, naked shall he return, to go as
he came; and he shall take nothing from his labor which he may carry away in
his hand. And this also is a severe evil - just exactly as he came, so shall
he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind? All his days he
also eats in darkness, and he has much sorrow and sickness and anger
(Ecclesiastes 5:10-17)."
Money, possessions and fame is not the ultimate happiness maker. Arriving on
Success Boulevard does not guarantee happiness and satisfaction in life. For
some it has produced exactly the opposite as is seen with so many suicides
among the rich and famous (i.e. Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, Kurt Cobain,
Ernest Hemingway, etc. For a surprisingly long and sad list, you can go
here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_famous_suicides ). The US
government website for suicide prevention can be found here:
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/suicideprevention/
What will bring you happiness, satisfaction, and joy? Jesus tells us this,
"Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow
is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little
faith? 'Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall
we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For after all these things the Gentiles
seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But
seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble
(Matthew 6:30-34)."
Gaining the whole world and everything in it along with great fame will not
give you happiness, satisfaction and joy. Seeking first the Kingdom of God
is the only way to fill up that God shaped hole in your life. You were
designed for God and only in Him will you find life, the abundant life. That
is why Jesus came, to save all of us lost and hurting people and in the
process to give us life, real life. ".for the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10)." "I have come that they may
have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10b)."
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