George
Washington Truett was a preacher in
for 47 years. He once visited a wealthy
rancher and had dinner in his huge ranch home.
After dinner, the rancher took Dr. Truett up to a veranda on top of his
house, and lit up a big cigar. The sun was setting, and if you’ve ever been to
The man pointed to the south toward some oil rigs and said, “I own
everything in that direction as far as you can see.” He pointed east
toward some cotton fields and said, “And I own everything in that
direction, too.” He pointed north toward a huge herd of cattle and
bragged, “And, preacher, I own everything as far as you can see in that
direction.” He turned to the west, and said, “And I own everything you
can see in that direction, except the sun, of course.”
Dr. Truett
turned to the man and pointed straight up the sky and said, “And how much
do you own in that direction?”
It’s a sobering
question for all of us. We are
surrounded constantly by the “things” of this world, and it is so
easy to think that these “things” are the things that matter most —
a nice car, a nice home, nice clothes (and don’t forget all the necessary
electronic gadgets!). And so, if we’re
not careful, we may seek to accumulate more and more, without regard to our
relationship with God. As the rich fool
discovered in Luke 12, we will all one day be forced to recognize that the
material things we have accumulated have no eternal value.
Jesus said,
“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.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
How much do you
own in that direction?
Have a great
day!
Alan Smith
