Giving It All Away…And Getting It All Back AgainSample

Staying Rich

Some of you are standing in shoes similar to my own. You are nearing the end of your life, wondering how to finish well and leave a legacy that will bless your family and those they interact with for generations to come. Some of you are just starting out in life, taking your first steps toward those dreams and plans.

Whether you’re at the end or the beginning of life, I want to challenge you to do three things:

1. Work with all your heart, for God and not for men.
2. Hold your plans lightly, because you really have no idea what the Lord has in store.
3. Consider now what you want your legacy to be. It is not too early to begin.

When we’re young, sometimes we think there’s a magic key in life that will answer all the questions or solve all the problems. It’s easy to think that life possesses some big secret and that when we find success somehow, we’ll attain this key to unlock all the mysteries of life. But now, as part of the emeritus faculty of life, I can say that it’s much simpler than that: be faithful with what God puts in front of you, and invest in the things of heaven.

The decisions you make today will affect the legacy you leave behind. Whether you are a young business man who has found himself encountering what the world sees as success both in career and family life, or a young woman who recently graduated and has no idea what is in front of you, today is the right day to make your decision in light of the truth that God owns it all. Live your life in this world while investing your wealth in the next.

Application: When you consider your life today, what are the things and people you are investing in that will last for eternity?