Do you think that you could be happy with one million dollars? Suppose you were given $1 million, with one stipulation. What would you buy? A new house? A pleasure boat? Undergo cosmetic surgery? Buy that beautiful luxury car that you have dreamed about? Yes, without question, becoming a millionaire could be tremendous fun, opening up many new opportunities for you.
But remember, I said "with one stipulation." What stipulation is that? Simply this: You would become a true, bank certified millionaire- but for only one day. After the end of that day, you have to give everything back. Return the house, the boat, the car, or whatever else you chose to purchase. You would also have to reverse the expensive cosmetic surgery.
Suddenly, becoming a millionaire does not seem as appealing, does it? Maybe it just does not seem worth the effort and the momentary enjoyment that wealth can provide if it is to be lost so quickly. We live in a world like this, however. We want what we want and we want it now. Interestingly, it has been observed that a mark of maturity is one's willingness to defer immediate gratification for long-run gain.
There are two distinctly different scoreboards in life, regardless of whether your vocation is in the business and professional world or an athletic field. The first scoreboard is found on "Planet Earth." It has at least four general categories: Beauty, Intelligence, Strength and Money. It is the standard the world uses to evaluate your worth.
Beauty equals external appearance: This relates to your physical appearance, the clothes you wear, whether your spouse or "significant other" is attractive to others. "Beauty" also concerns whether your house, car, personal attire, children, work or hobby possessions inspire admiration and envy.
Intelligence relates to mental capacity and skill, real and imagined. For the past 200 years, doors of opportunity were often opened based on the college attended and the degrees earned. Now a "killer-concept" (such as innovations that started enterprises like Federal Express, Apple Computer, Microsoft and Google) can open those same doors. Today, as never before, one creative or innovative idea can change your life.
Strength pertains to physical strength, physical appearance and physical health. You cannot fully enjoy the other aspects of life if you are not healthy.
Money often equals power. It's amazing how we envy and cater to people with money. Dollars open doors - providing the best seats in restaurants, special attention at social events, and deference in important meetings.
But the harsh reality is that this life on earth, no matter how enjoyable, is a vapor. Psalm 102 says: "My days are like a shadow that lengthens and I wither away like grass."
Our life spans, compared to eternity, are as fleeting as steam escaping from a tea kettle. We spend our lives playing according to the Planet Earth scoreboard, but one day, sooner than we can imagine, everything is going to vanish. It will all be replaced with the second scoreboard. The score there is tallied by different standards, based on our "relationship with God, through Jesus Christ", and how we responded to His call to "Come and follow Him." Eternity for us individually begins here in our own awareness of it. Where will you be spending eternity? In union with God or separation from Him.
St. Paul explains it this way: "And just as it is appointed for people to die once and after this, judgment" (Hebrews 9:7). "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Suddenly, beauty, intelligence, strength and money will become useless.
St. Augustine sums it up very well; "The love of possessions is a sort of a trap, which entangles the soul and prevents it flying to God."
Sooner or later we will discover that the Planet Earth scoreboard alone, is just not worth the effort.