Dr. Lawrence Butler, The Bridge Church Pembroke

Man has struggled for survival ever since God told Adam, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Gen. 3:19).  This happened because of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  Maybe you don’t believe this Bible story, but you have lived with the results of it whether you believe or not.  There have been droughts, famines, earthquakes, volcanoes and so many setbacks during man’s existence on earth that we cannot name them.  Poor became rich, rich became poor, and most simply fought day-by-day for survival.  Poor harvests, crop failures, insects and pestilences all fight against our desire to live and succeed.  Even among the very successful in our culture many have been bankrupt at least once or twice.  Is wealth really worth the cost?

There are many beautiful castles in Europe that may be visited by tourists.  They speak of bygone days when wealth was abundant for someone.  They amaze us with their beauty and expansive design as we realize this place was inhabited by extraordinary people.  However, we also notice that those people are nowhere to be found.  They all had to die and leave their wealth behind.  Is it worth giving so much of yourself to gain that which you cannot keep?

This brings us to my main point.  Are you neglecting your family in order to gain the very things the Bible tells us are fleeting?  “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (I Timothy 6:9-10).  When you come to the end of your life, do you want to leave things behind that never really mattered in the first place?  What about your family, your spouse and children?  Pour yourself into them and leave behind a heritage that will continue to bless and benefit others.  Your family and godly integrity are much more important than simply collecting things to admire or that will bring admiration from others toward you.