Recently I was asked to write an article about my accomplishments as a youth. To be honest, I couldn’t remember anything significant. My youth baseball teams received the Sportsmanship Award every year, primarily because we always lost and the league felt sorry for us. Those were the days before Participation Awards. I did manage to get good grades, but my friends didn’t care about that.
As we get older we pursue more sophisticated things. We seek a great job that fulfills and rewards us. We want a nice house and fancy car. We save for exotic, and expensive, vacations. Many of us seek fame and fortune. All of this may be good, at least while it lasts.
Matthew 6:19-20 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” How tragic is it to only pursue temporal things that will not last! We are given a short time on earth, so we must not waste it with frivolous pursuits. Let us respond to God’s calling by going after love, faith, and hope. Let’s enrich ourselves and others by doing good for all, leaving behind selfish pursuits. Then we are laying up treasures in heaven.
Reluctant Retiree 