A Sobering Reminder

“Why should I fear when evil days come,
 when wicked deceivers surround me—those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?  No one can redeem the life of another
 or give to God a ransom for them—the ransom for a life is costly,
 no payment is ever enough—so that they should live on forever
 and not see decay.  For all can see that the wise die,
 that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others.  Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves.  People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish.  This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings.

They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). 
Their forms will decay in the grave, 
 far from their princely mansions.  But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself.  Do not be overawed when others grow rich, 
when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them.  Though while they live they count themselves blessed—and people praise you when you prosper—they will join those who have gone before them, 
 who will never again see the light of life.  People who have wealth but lack understanding
 are like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49:5-20 NIV)

On university campuses across the country, almost every building has a specific name attached to it.  The university library might be something like the “Shelby R. Smith Library.”  The education building could be the “Frances L. Stephenson School of Education.”  The names are of people, usually of great wealth and/or accomplishment, who have given a sizeable gift toward the construction of the facility.  

The honor of having one’s name on a building is intended to be a memorial to that person’s work and generosity and is sold that way by university officials to potential donors.  Obviously, it works because every university expands its campus by this method.  And it works primarily because people want to be recognized and remembered.  But the reality is very few are remembered for long.  Ask students on any campus about a building’s namesake, and only a few, if any, will know who the people were or anything about them.  To students, it is just the name of the building.  

The Psalmist gives us a sobering reminder that in the grand scheme of God’s eternal Kingdom, acquired wealth and fame mean very little.  As he writes, “Do not be overawed when others grow rich, 
 when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them.  Though while they live they count themselves blessed—and people praise you when you prosper—they will join those who have gone before them, 
 who will never again see the light of life.”

Yet, isn’t that what a lot of us do?  We want to one day be rich and famous.  We want people to praise us and recognize us for our achievements.  And maybe some of us, as we grow older and begin to recognize the limits of our days on earth, hope for some monument to our accomplishments so as to recall the memory of whom we were and what we’ve done.  

The Psalmist is very direct in calling this foolish thinking.  We will take nothing of our wealth or recognition with us when we die.  If we trust and revel in our earthly accomplishments, he says our destiny will be the same as an animal living only by instinct.  In other words, while lots of money, the adoration of many people, and buildings built in our honor may feel really good, they gain us nothing in the eyes of the One whose opinion truly matters.

Today, recognize what the world considers of great value is, from the eternal perspective, of little or no value at all.  So you would be wise to set your goals and aim for achievements in this life that truly will accompany you into the next one.  

© Jim Musser 2013