Luke 12:21

I love the fact that most of Jesus’ stories are told in very few words. Our verse today is the punch line to a very brief story that he told about a rich farmer who had such a successful harvest that he needed to build more barns.

He concluded that he could now settle back and enjoy life. He could eat, drink and be merry. But Jesus called the man a fool. He had not taken into consideration the fact that his life might come to an end that very night.

I don’t believe for a moment that Jesus wants us to go through life with long faces, dwelling on the morbid realisation that any day might be our last. Far from it! He wants us to live our lives fully every day, to enjoy the wonders of his creation and the miracle of being alive.

But he wants us to do so in the light of eternity. He wants us to invest in the things that last, not the things that will pass away.

Nothing is more enduring than our relationship with God. There is nothing wrong with making money, but there
is something hideously wrong with thinking about it to the exclusion of everything else.

Our society encourages us to think about our money, our possessions, our holidays, our pensions and our health continually. All of those things are good, but as we look at the adverts and listen to the voices around us, we need to remind ourselves that God calls us to live with the much bigger perspective of eternity.

Every day, we need to remind ourselves of the importance of living close to our eternal God and sharing his love, joy and peace with those around us.

Question

Do you consciously live and make your decisions in the light of eternity?

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the wonderful gift of today. Help me to recognise how precious it is and to ensure that you are at the centre of all of my decisions. Amen