How Badly Do You Want To Become a Millionaire?
A fresh perspective on living in this world when compared to eternity
Do you think you could be happy with one million dollars? Suppose I were to give you $1 million, with one stipulation. What would you buy? A new house? A pleasure boat? Undergo cosmetic surgery? Buy that beautiful luxury car you have dreamed about? Yes, without question, becoming a millionaire could be tremendous fun, opening up many new opportunities for you.
But remember, I said “with one stipulation.” What stipulation is that? Simply this: You would become a true, bank-certified millionaire — but for only one day. After the end of that day, you have to give everything back. Return the house, the boat, the car, or whatever else you chose to purchase. You would also have to reverse the surgery.
Suddenly, becoming a millionaire does not seem as appealing, does it? Maybe it just does not seem worth the effort and the momentary enjoyment wealth can provide if it is to be lost so quickly.
We live in a world like this, however. We want what we want, and we want it now. Interestingly, it has been observed that a mark of maturity is one’s willingness to defer immediate gratification for long-run gain.
There are two distinctly different scoreboards in life, regardless of whether your vocation is in the business and professional world or an athletic field. The first scoreboard is found on “Planet Earth.” It has at least four general categories: Beauty, Intelligence, Strength, and Money.
Beauty equals external appearance. This relates to your physical appearance, the clothes you wear, whether your spouse or “significant other” is attractive to others. “Beauty” also concerns whether your house, car, personal attire, children, work or hobby possessions inspire admiration and envy.
Intelligence relates to mental capacity and skill, real and imagined. For the past 200 years, doors of opportunity were often opened based on the college attended and the degrees earned. Now a “killer-concept” (such as innovations that started enterprises like Federal Express, Apple Computer, Microsoft and Google) can open those same doors. Today, as never before, one creative or innovative idea can change your life.
Strength pertains to physical strength, physical appearance and physical health. You cannot fully enjoy the other aspects of life if you are not healthy.
Money often equals power. It’s amazing how we envy and cater to people with money. Dollars open doors — providing the best seats in restaurants, special attention at social events, deference in important meetings.
But the harsh reality is that this life on earth, no matter how enjoyable, is a vapour. Our life spans, compared to eternity, are as fleeting as steam escaping from a tea kettle. We spend our lives playing according to the Planet Earth scoreboard, but one day, sooner that we can imagine, everything is going to vanish. It will all be replaced with what we might call a “Heaven or Hell” scoreboard: Where will you be spending eternity?
The Bible explains it this way: “And just as it is appointed for people to die once, and after this, judgment” (Hebrews 9:7). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Suddenly, beauty, intelligence, strength and money will become useless. Sooner or later we will discover that the Planet Earth scoreboard is just not worth the effort.
