Luke 12 recites the parable of a wealthy man who did not understand the priority of life. In his accumulation he built bigger barns to store more things. In the end, God said to him, “Thou fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own all the things you have prepared?” In a related biblical version the words are, “You Fool! What then?”
The prodigal spent all that he had, but he never considered the question, “What then?” His inheritance was going to run out, but he lived for the moment never considering what might happen next. In a rage, Judas betrayed the Lord, but he never considered what would happen afterward; what would they do with Jesus? I wonder how many have lived life without ever asking, “What then?” Okay, so you won the argument. What then? Okay, you’ve shared your grievance. What then? Many have raced to the finish line only to discover that there was something beyond the checkered flag. Accomplishments are all brief and then comes the next day. Moments of bitterness might also be brief and then comes the next day.
Both success and failure; blessing and sufferings are not forever. As I have often taught, words are like bullets, once they are spoken they can never be retrieved. So before I speak I must ask, What then? Our human existence is temporal and then comes Eternity. What then? Where will we spend Eternity?
The rich man squandered his opportunities to do good to Lazarus. He passed by him without ever considering how his present neglect might affect his future existence. The one-talent servant buried his gift, but never thought about the response of the master. These are momentary decisions without any consideration to the consequences they bring. It’s the flagrancy of youth to do without thinking and not consider the effect. God said, “Thou fool. You’ve done all this but what then? You’ve spent your life doing what pleased you, but you’ve given no thought for the next day.”
I say we must Worship, Serve and Pray as seed offerings, knowing that they will be harvested in the future. We must work in the Kingdom knowing that this world is not our home and that we must do whatever we can to make it to heaven. I’m working on building the Kingdom; seeking for revival; and searching for God’s wisdom and truth. These things matter to my today and my tomorrow.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole