From the 16th century comes a story of a probing conversation between an ambitious young man and a devout Christian named St. Philip Neri. The youth said to him excitedly,“My parents finally agreed to my studying law!”Philip asked simply,“What then?”
He replied,“Then I shall become a lawyer!“And then?” pursued Philip.“ Then I shall earn lots of money, buy a country house, get a carriage and horses, marry a beautiful woman, and lead a delightful life!”he responded.
Again Philip asked,“And then?“Then . . .”The young man began reflecting for the first time on death and eternity. He realized that he had not acknowledged God in his plans and was building his life on temporal values.
The point of this story is not that riches are wrong. But if they become our central goal, we are ignoring eternity and trusting money, not God. Jesus said it’s impossible to love both money and God (Matthew 6:24), and He warned,“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven”(vv.19-20).
Young and old alike must make important life-plans. But let’s keep eternity in mind by always subjecting them to the“what then?” test.
Shall the great Judge say, when my task is through,
That my soul had gathered some riches too?
Or shall at the last it be mine to find
That all I had worked for I had left behind? —Anon.
The true measure of our wealth is the treasure we have in heaven.
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