What A Life

An old fable talks about a miserable rich man who went to visit a rabbi. The rabbi took the rich man by the hand and led him to a window and said, “Look out there.”

The rich man looked into the street.

“What do you see?” asked the rabbi.

“I see men, women, and children,” answered the rich man.

Again the rabbi took him by the hand and this time led him to a mirror. “Now, what do you see?”

“Now, I see myself,” the rich man replied.

Then the rabbi said, “Behold, in the window there is glass, and in the mirror there is glass. But when you cover the glass with a little silver, you cease to see others, and you see only yourself.”

We often find that when we add too much silver to our lives, it causes blindness. Instead of being concerned about people, we become preoccupied with things. If we have come to a point in our lives where most of our energy is focused on the extras of life, the luxuries, the getting and the having, then we may already have arrived at that very dangerous place where a little silver prevents us from seeing other people.

At some point our need for things becomes a greed for things. Greed is like a fire. The more wood that we pile on, the hungrier it gets. A popular spiritual magazine took a survey of its readers to discover the greatest spiritual challenge that its readers faced. When the results were tabulated, they learned that the biggest obstacle faced by those seeking to live a spiritual life was materialism.

Materialism is surrounding ourselves with more things, hoping that somehow we will gain security, satisfaction, and even happiness.

Becoming too absorbed with the material side of life is so easy. We can readily fall into that trap. Jesus invites us to choose a life of significance – a life balanced and meaningful. We can uncover our priorities by asking three simple questions:

1. How do I spend my time?

2. How do I spend my money?

3. How do I make decisions?

Answer those questions honestly, and you will have a picture of what or who is important in your life. Jesus reminds us that life is not about what we have. It is about who we are. In the end, what we have is not going to matter very much. Who we are will matter a lot.

When we surrender to greed, we no longer are worshiping the one, true and loving God. Instead, we worship the house we live in, the car we drive, the bank account, the expensive clothes, the fashionable furniture, the lavish lifestyle.

All these can take the first place in our lives, and one day we will die. What will really matter then?

Jesus tells us that we must make ourselves rich, not in the eyes of others, but in the eyes of God. True riches mean, among other things, loving others and helping people in very concrete and practical ways.

We do have material needs. So do others. If we find ourselves on the side with more, then love demands that we reach out in very real and tangible ways to help those who have less.

The Bible never condemns anyone for having money. It condemns “the love of money.” (1 Tim. 6:10) It is avarice that is the “root of all kinds of evil.” When we crave worldly acquisitions and neglect becoming rich toward God, then, we become children of this world rather than true sons and daughters of God.

May the Lord of life give us the wisdom we need to use what we have to bring joy and comfort into the lives of others.