My Last Encounter With a Wealthy Man
I once knew a very wealthy man. I had met him more times than I could count, and I struggled to fathom what it was like to have as much as he had acquired.
We strolled through a galleria, and he had the means to purchase whatever he wanted, while I, at the time, was experiencing financial hardship and could afford almost nothing in the shops surrounding us.
When we first met, neither of us had anything. Over time, he became rich, and I seemed unable to catch a break financially.
I never asked him for anything, yet if he had known that I needed anything, he would not have hesitated to give me what was required.
On this last occasion, he told me I could never accomplish what he had achieved because of my character. He knew that I had become a follower of Jesus, and with the help of the Lord, I aim to live as God has commanded in Bible scripture.
What he said was true. I had forfeited numerous opportunities and faced much rejection because I was unwilling to participate in or adhere to principles and actions that would have been a violation of my Christian faith.
He was willing to do whatever was necessary to gain prosperity as long as it was not a violation of man’s law, but he was okay with violating God’s law.
Despite this, it was great to see him. Our lives had gone in two totally different directions, so we rarely had a chance to meet.
At the end of this encounter, we said goodbye, intending to meet again at some point in the future.
I walked away feeling as though he was fortunate and I was unfortunate. He had more than he needed, and I felt as though I barely had enough to survive on.
I had no idea that it would be the last time that I would see him. He died shortly after our meeting. I was stunned when I received the news. I had just seen him. How could this be?
As I have pondered our last encounter, I have come to realize that I had more during that moment than he had.
He had material wealth, but he left it all behind when he died and entered eternity. It would not benefit him any longer.
His acknowledgement of my character as a result of being a follower of Jesus pointed to the fact that I had Someone (Jesus) whom he did not have.
Like him, I too will one day die, but the One (Jesus) whom I have now, I will also have in eternity. He was wealthy physically, but I am wealthy spiritually because I have Christ.
This has caused me to resolve to cling to Jesus until my last breath. I may never have much, pertaining to the wealth of this world, but I have more than can ever be measured because I have the One (Jesus) who holds the world in the palm of His hand.
