Three famous men, each of them multi-millionaires, died earlier this spring. Hollywood actor Gene Hackman passed away at the end of February, leaving $80 million. Formula 1 executive Eddie Jordan departed this world a few weeks later, leaving a fortune of $300 million. The following day heavyweight-boxer- turned-pastor George Foreman died, leaving $600 million in his account.
The press obituaries highlighted the individual’s age and other general information, but it was the money they left behind that also was considered noteworthy. When you think about it though, nothing is so utterly irrelevant as personal wealth at the point of death. It doesn’t matter how much one has in the bank – the fact is we leave all of it behind. As it says in Scripture, ‘For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out’ (1 Timothy 6:7).
Despite this certainty, many still live on the opposite assumption. The psalmist summed it up perfectly when he wrote, ‘In vain they rush about, heaping wealth without knowing whose it will finally be’ (Psalm 39:6). It begs the question, why do people do this? What makes someone think that storing up wealth is a perfect way to live when they know they can’t take it with them?
