Are You Chasing the Temporal or the Eternal? – by Bilyana de Soto
Feb 2, 2016 1633
A crisis, especially one when facing life or death, is enough to turn our so often distorted human values and priorities on its head. Consider the numerous life-changing moments occasioned by the sinking of the stricken Titanic on that fateful morning of April, 15 1912, that bring to life the words of Jesus: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:36,7.
Unfortunately, it’s not until the ship of life is sinking that our minds are focused on what really matters in life. A passenger on the Titanic, Arthur Peuchen, a chemist from Toronto, had but the briefest of moments to decide what to take with him as the crystal chandeliers tilted, and as the too few lifeboats was being winched down. He left behind a tin box of bonds and stocks to the value of $300.000 and stepped onto the freezing deck clutching three oranges in his hand.
There is no salvation in stocks and bonds, and in the wealth of this world. Jesus was never against wealth as such, but He certainly didn’t want us to put our trust in it over and above Him, nor did He want you and me to tether out hearts to anything other than Him.
Jesus knows that the best of life, the best on offer here and now, and forever after is what He has for us. If we are not careful, we will chase after the temporal more than the spiritual. Jesus also wants us to abide in Him today, right now, moment by moment and not wait for crises of life before we reorganize our priorities.
– Bilyana De Soto
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