In the early 1900s, one of the wealthiest men of a certain town passed away. The man specified before he died that a final farewell would be done with him in the casket and taken down the streets in which he had lived.
The day came when the man’s final farewell came. His body in the casket, placed on a beautiful and ornate carriage and pulled by three lavishly dressed horses. What many people did not understand was that as part of this wealthy man’s specifications, he was to have his hands placed outside of the casket with his palms open facing upward.
The directions were followed exactly, and as the man’s body in the casket was seen by all of the people in the town standing on the sidewalks and watching, a young boy looked up at his father in confusion. The boy asked his father “Why is that man’s hands outside of the casket like that?” The father looked down at his son and said “That man wanted everyone to see that all of his wealth that he worked so hard to attain can’t be taken with him in death.”
This story has stayed with me for many years. I have thought about this story hundreds if not thousands of times because it is so true. We work so hard to attain physical wealth, but what we don’t always realize is that it will all stay here after we are gone into eternity.
Only the good works that we did to help others rise higher, becoming better, reach farther will last in the hearts and minds of those whom we were fortunate enough to be in contact with. The Lord Jesus says it better than I can ever say it. The Lord declares in Matthew 6:19-21 “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. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
I’d like to ask the question, is this us? Is our sole intent in life to gain as much physical wealth so that we can buy newer, bigger and better? What we must realize is that it is foolish to want only for self because to live only for self is to live in vain. Who gets better when we want only for ourselves? Whom do we help to rise higher when we strive so hard for self gain?
Answering these questions is essential because life is too short no matter how long it may seem to us presently. Years pass us by that seem like only days ago and it is for this reason that we should be eternity conscious and layup for ourselves treasures in Heaven.
Let us do good works that will glorify God in Heaven, let us lead by Christ’s example so that people will be drawn to Him because of us. Let our life’s example point towards the Creator of this world so that all who see us, will more importantly see Him.
That is my prayer for each of us. May we be eternity minded in all of our dealings. May we think far ahead of where we are right now so that we may see how our life may be useful in helping others to become better than they are right now. It will not matter how big your bank account is when you breathe your last breath. That will not benefit you one iota, but the good works that you did when you had breath will live on in the minds and hearts of those that you were fortunate enough to touch.
I encourage you with my whole heart to live eternity minded. Think of how you will be remembered long after you are gone. Will you be thought of as a selfish person? Will you be remembered fondly for having an open heart? Will your memory live on in the lives of those who were closest to you?
I hope you meditate on this message and give your all for the betterment of those around you. Living selflessly is to have truly lived and when we do, we will truly never die!