Gaining Much, Losing All (by Kevan O'Banion)

A “rich young ruler” came to Jesus and asked, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Not only did Christ's reply cause the young ruler to “go away sorrowful,” but his statements caused some uneasiness in his disciples as well. “And they that heard it said, ‘Who then can be saved?’” (Luke 18:18‑26)

 
Solomon said, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov.23:7). In other words, a person’s attitudes will greatly influence his actions ‑‑ his way of life. Christ tried to instill this truth in the minds of his disciples. In the incident with the young ruler, the riches alone did not prevent the young man from heeding the words of Christ. It was his attitude toward those riches that placed a barrier between him and God. The same holds true concerning our attitude toward material things. Our possessions can be an aid to our service to God or a hindrance to our fulfilling our responsibilities to Him. Our earthly goods can just as easily be a distraction of Satan as they can be a blessing from God – depending on how we use them.
 
The materialistic society in which we live promotes the idea of gaining as much as possible. Success in life is measured by how much one can accumulate. The man who coveted his own possessions in  Luke 12  allowed materialism to rule his life. In verse 20 we read, “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’” Paul reminds us in 1 Tim. 6:17 to put our trust in God and not in uncertain riches. An honest appraisal of both our time and financial contributions to the things of God will tell us where we place our trust.

Many brethren have been deceived into thinking that working to pay for that new home, car, or boat is more important than teaching the lost, helping those in need, and meeting with the saints. Their contribution consists of what little (if any) remains after the bills have been paid. Perhaps we need to be reminded of God’s statement “So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:21) Christ said to “But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things (material necessities) shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). God knows our needs and will meet them if we put Him first. Sometimes it’s hard to admit that what we think we need and what God knows we need may be two different things.

So many people in our day are failing to prepare for eternity. As with the rich young ruler, they too cannot let go of their material goods. Hours are spent in pursuit of carnal pleasures with little or no thought given to godliness. We must adopt the attitude of Paul who learned “both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want” (Phil.4:12). Do we have an attitude of placing God first in our lives? Or, would we also “go away sorrowful” if Christ asked us to sell all that we have and follow him?