Gain the whole world

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? – Matthew 16.26

There is a mad rush today, well, I guess to be honest there has been a mad rush for a long, long time to gain as much of this world as we can. It just seems like it is much worse today.  Everybody want to get as big a piece of the pie as they can.

But what is all that going to get us at the end? What will the real benefit be even if I can ‘gain the whole world?’ What good will the whole world do me in 2118 or 2320 or 3547 or even 12657?

That’s a little rhetorical isn’t it? Of course even by 2075 the whole world is going to do me no good. Nothing I gain will be left. Everything the world holds in temporal and, like the rust, it will fade away. Everything we can see, by its very nature is temporary.

So what good does it do us if indeed we gain the whole world, but lose our own soul? Our soul is eternal and what we do about our soul will still have an impact in 12657 and beyond. Our whole focus needs to be our things eternal. Sure we have to get by in this world, we have to provide for our families and pay our bills and care for others.

But the mad rush to gain the whole world just isn’t worth it. Only what’s done for Christ will last.