Fortune magazine quoted billionaire Ross Perot speaking to students at the Harvard Business School in 1989 (before he ran for U.S. President): “Guys, just remember…if you make a lot of money, if you go out and buy a lot of stuff–it’s going to break. You got your biggest, fanciest mansion in the world. It has air conditioning. It’s got a pool. Just think of all the pumps that are going to go out. Or go to a yacht basin anyplace in the world. Nobody is smiling, and I’ll tell you why. Something broke that morning. The generator’s out, the microwave oven doesn’t work…. Things just don’t mean happiness.”
We often put our hope in the things that the world holds up to us. We put our hope in financial security, but a crisis or a lay-off can wipe it out overnight. In a commercial-saturated society where we’re promised bigger, better, fresher, & newer, we can invest our lives in things that often don’t matter & don’t last. We need to truly see how worthless the things of the world are compared to the kingdom of God.
Is it really worth it to follow Christ? There is a lot to give up. Being a disciple involves sacrifice. But Jesus’ answer to the question, “Is it worth it?” is a resounding “YES!” The cost of discipleship may be great, but what is gained is priceless — to be valued above everything else in this world. Our soul is our most valuable possession (Matt. 16:25).
When a person seeks first the kingdom of God, he will not only save his soul, but God will give him the other things to boot (Matt. 6:33). God hasn’t promised to grant all our wants, but if we have the necessities of life, we’ll be content with that, because even with just the basics of food, clothing, & shelter, we’re far wealthier than the billionaires of this world who aren’t right with God (1 Tim. 6:6-8).
Jesus even said that the kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field that a man would joyfully sell all he has to get (Matt. 13:44). Salvation is of such great value that one should be willing to give up all he has to gain it. Nothing else should be as important to us. All else pales in comparison to eternal life.
We live in a world that’s full of bad news, pessimism, & dread of the future. Many young people have no hope for better jobs or income than their parents. Many older folks have little hope in the next generation. God is the only true source of hope in this world. Only because God’s in control can we look forward to a bright future. God offers us a hope that the world cannot–better than mere optimism or even positive thinking.
The Bible tells us that the Last Days will be terrible & godless. Things can get worse. But things can also grow better as Christians permeate society, spreading the Good News of Christ, transforming lives & the culture. Certainly, we don’t expect that the world will become utopian. Jesus teaches that we can expect trouble & evil until His return. But It’s hope in the Gospel to change people that causes revival to be a true option still today. It’s a realistic hope that looks at the evil of the present day & says, “What a tremendous opportunity to make an impact for Christ!” So whichever comes first: revival or Christ–we have great cause for hope.
When we hope for something today, it means wishful thinking. We may not really expect it to happen, but wouldn’t it be nice if it did? In Scripture, hope carries the much stronger idea of confident expectation (Heb. 11:1). It’s expecting that something good will definitely happen that hasn’t yet; or expecting to receive something great you haven’t yet. It’s like the difference between a child hoping to get that amazing, expensive toy he wants for Christmas, but with no solid reason to expect it. But if the parent promises the child that toy & even allows a sneak peek ahead of time, then that’s more like the biblical idea of hope.
God has made many wonderful promises that He will certainly keep as He always has. He’s even allowed us a sneak peek into what’s awaiting us (Rom. 8:23, Heb. 6:5, Eph. 1:13-14). To the self-satisfied farmer who had grandiose plans to build bigger & bigger barns to store his crops, the Lord said, “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you” (Luke 12: 20). There’s no assurance of tomorrow. He had already lived his last tomorrow.
Scripture continually warns us against misplacing hope in things. Things come & go. Here today, gone tomorrow. Wealth is ultimately no insurance against the future. Hearses do not pull U-Hauls behind them. If we look back at our lives & have only material, temporary things to show for our time here, we have been poor stewards. The only proper place to put our hope is in that which will last forever.