What is the sense of gaining the whole world if in the end we lose our souls?

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10

We live in a world that worships money. We look at our 401 K statements each week to see how we're doing. Are we on track. Will I have enough money to afford those annual trips to Europe each winter? Can I afford that brand new sports car that begs me to buy? 

We want more money so we can buy stuff to impress people we do not even know.

When our investments head south, or in some cases, bankrupt, we suddenly lose hope. We forget, thanks to the ongoing arguments of the atheist movement, to pray to our Lord who wants us to call upon His name. We're told since the 60's not to mention the name of Jesus in any public square because of the separation of Church and state.  For some, they stop going to church on a regular basis. On one secular radio station on a Sunday morning, there is this program called the investment hour where they answer questions from people calling in wondering what they should do the investments that have a poor performance? 

Today, we have whole generations of people who have walked away from God who has never seen the insides of the Church.

I look at our celebrities and I see brokenness. I see pain and with a couple of them, I see horror as their lives unravel for all the world to see. 

As I read countless article after another, I've reminded over again the evils of money. In the Gospel of Mark 10, a man ran up to Jesus and fell at his knee. "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus proceeded to remind this man of the commandments- you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother. The man looked at Jesus and said, " all these I kept since I was a boy!" Jesus looked at him and loved him. " One thing you lack," He said, " Go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven."

At this, the man's face fell. He went away sad as he had great wealth. 

We must never be ashamed of our Bible because in those pages is the hope we have in life- even when tragedy strikes or our investment portfolio heads south.  I'm reminded by the words of the Pastor on communion Sunday, "Christ blood shed for you", as a reminder of how much God loved me that he sacrificed his son on the cross for me and for you! 

As I watch all of the people I use to looked up to fall, I'm reminded that I must keep my eyes squarely on Jesus. I see through those people how much control money had on their lives. 

Finally, I'm reminded of this question, " how much do you have to have to be happy?"   

" Just a little bit more than what I have."

The point is we're never satisfied by how much wealth we have!