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There's a great story that Jesus told about a rich guy who thought he had made it, but discovered that by only preparing for this life he'd made the worst investment decision possible. He was not a success, he was a fool! The story is brilliant in how it exposes how foolish many of our own investment decisions are and gives us the necessary correction. It was also perfectly timed. Just when Jesus was challenging His followers to not allow their fears to prevent them from choosing to give up everything in order to follow Him, along comes a guy whose only concern was for the money he felt he was due. Money is something we often turn to for security instead of trusting in God. It's also something we turn to to provide for the things we want, rather than submitting our desires to God. We chase the things we think money will buy not realizing that they will never truly satisfy and they won't even last that long. However when we teach ourselves to value eternity and make the decision to invest ourselves most in the things in what will last longest, our hearts begin to be less controlled by fear and less enticed by earthly desires. We discover freedom and joy in the present and confidence in the future. Loving others becomes easier because we don't need to look out for ourselves any more.
