When I hold money in my hand, my dream of wealth comes closer to reality. The falsehood of materialism states that possessions are the answer for everything. But they do not always live up to our expectations and can disappoint.
The rich young ruler entertained the possibility of following Christ, but he walked away sorrowful (Matt. 19:16–26). He saw the possibility of Jesus but did not make Him a reality; he did not actualize Him. The rich young ruler chose the temporal life of wealth over eternal life with Christ.
The main difference between Jesus and wealth is that Jesus never disappoints. Zacchaeus dreamed of seeing Jesus, and that dream was actualized while he was up in a sycamore tree. Jesus became real to him, and reformation was the result (Luke 19:5–8). In front of everyone, the heart of Zacchaeus was opened, and his mission was to give away his wealth and repay those he had wronged. Revival and reformation were connected that day.
Too many people only dream of the possibility of a relationship with Jesus.
Stop dreaming and make Christ a reality. Stop obsessing about the temporal things and give all to the Eternal One. Discover your mission. You will not be disappointed.
—John Mathews serves as stewardship director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
