An uppity middle aged Christian man scoffed at two classic books authored by the late William MacDonald. He called them “ludicrous and extreme.” He visibly shook his head as he condemned the two popular books: My Heart, My Life, My All and True Discipleship. Your head will shake too if you read the books but hopefully for a different reason. The books will shake you up – not because Mr. MacDonald was out-2-lunch when he wrote them, but because of how far short we fall from true and complete surrender to the Lord. Some dismiss the books as out-of-touch with reality; others bow their heads and confess how out-of-touch with spiritualitythey are.Psalm 49 takes yet another swipe at those who are preoccupied with getting rich and living an easy life. Affluence and wealth may allow you to wield some power in this life but that’s where it stops.
They that trust in their wealth, And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him .
that he should still live always, that he should not see corruption.
For he shall see it. Wise men die; The fool and the brutish alike perish,
And leave their wealth to others.
Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue forever,
And their dwelling-places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names.
(Psalms 49:6-11)
It is hard to read this Psalm and not ask: how can a person be so smart and yet so dumb? Smart enough to make money but too dumb to see beyond tomorrow. The Psalmist says they think their stuff, their houses and property will last forever. They name their land after themselves – Pierre Boulevard! But how quickly they move into their new home – Coffin Cabin and change neighborhoods to Headstone Cemetery.
The frail shell is laid to rest – in time. The real person, on the other hand, has entered the eternal zone. For those of us who are saved, we will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. He will review my life as a Christian – the choices I made; how I spent my time; how I used my talent and where I stored my treasures. No, I will not be at risk of losing my soul on that day. I am eternally secure. But I will suffer loss based on things I could have done for Him but failed to do.
How ridiculously small some things will be the moment we step into eternity. My mind races: “… All my fretting over the color of my Lamborghini, the size of my yacht, the gold plating on my sink faucets, the style of my Gucci shoes and my floundering investment portfolio……and now here I am. That’s Him sitting on the Throne. That’s His Beautiful Face. Look at His eyes. The nail holes are still in His Hands and His Feet. The wound in His side. He’s turning the page. He’s getting ready to call my name. The echo of my name as He calls me forward is awesome. I take a few steps towards Him. I fall at His Feet – “O Lord, I wish I had given You more! I wish I had surrendered all rather than squandered all. I wish I had practiced more of True Discipleship in my life. I wish I had given You My Heart, My life, My All.”
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay