The Inspired Leader: 101 Biblical Reflections for Becoming a Person of Influence (40 page)

Not far from the Biltmore in the small community of Montreat sits another home, that of Billy and Ruth Graham. They built the modest house on a mountainside as a place to provide much needed privacy and where they could raise their children. Nearby sits The Cove. It was established by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association with the goal of encouraging Christians and ministry leaders through solid Bible teaching. The Cove is designed to accommodate up to 500 guests at a time. Lining its halls are pictures and memorabilia from the numerous crusades Billy Graham undertook worldwide. A Christian radio station on the property broadcasts Christian music and programming. The Vanderbilt estate and The Cove sit miles, yet worlds apart. One is a public display of opulence. The other is a base from which to extend God’s kingdom.

Jesus told the parable of a successful businessman who had a knack for turning a profit. This man built larger coffers and increased his investments without any thought of using his wealth to help others. There seemed no end to his potential for accumulating riches. But alas, the end was closer than he imagined. Like George Vanderbilt, he died unexpectedly and his heirs received what he spent a lifetime accumulating. Jesus concluded, “
So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God”
(Luke 12:21).

Billy Graham collected riches in heaven. He never built a palatial mansion nor did he accumulate enormous wealth. People will not tour his former home to view his priceless possessions but will celebrate a life that invested heavily in the kingdom of God. Graham and the thousands who responded to his preaching will be enjoying the dividends of his investment for eternity.

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. You more than likely work hard. What has your labor primarily been for? How long will your accomplishments last? How long will they be remembered? Will your labor be viewed by others positively or negatively?
   

2. If your life were to abruptly end this week, would your house be in order? Would you be ready to pass on what you have to the next generation? What do you need to do so you are prepared to hand over all you have to the next generation?
   

3. How much time do you invest in the development and encouragement of the next generation? Do you invest in mentoring the younger generation? Are you training people to some day replace you? How are you living your life with an eye to the future?
   

IN THE EPIC days leading up to the revolutionary war, John and Abigail Adams conducted a fascinating correspondence concerning the state of America. Abigail observed, “We have too many high sounding words and too few actions that correspond to them.” Her husband, John, serving at the epicenter of his nation’s greatest political leaders, concluded, “We have not men fit for the times.” Both John and Abigail would be called upon to make enormous personal sacrifices for their nation. John would serve as the first vice president under George Washington and then succeed Washington as America’s second president. His son, John Quincy Adams would later become the sixth president of the United States. Not only did this couple discuss the shortcomings of their nation, they rose up to make a lasting difference.

Many people are so busy dealing with day-to-day concerns that they give only fleeting attention to matters of the future. Even fewer consider how their daily lives have eternal ramifications. Yet God created us for eternity and it is only from that vantage point that our lives gain their true meaning and perspective. Many of us want to make a contribution to humanity that will outlast us, to leave a legacy. For some people, the only meaning for their lives is found in their efforts to live as comfortably as possible during the brief decades they traverse the planet. Consequently it is not surprising when they grow discouraged and disillusioned immersing themselves in mundane tasks having no lasting value.

Horace Mann intoned, “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” Successful businesspeople have the material means to leave a legacy. John Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and Bill Gates all established enormous foundations for the betterment of mankind. Andrew Mellon claimed, “Every man wants to connect his life with something eternal.” As a result, he created the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

Milton and Catherine Hershey were unable to have children, so in an effort to leave a legacy, Hershey built an entire town in Pennsylvania as a modern utopia. Having no heir to his fortune, the industrialist willed his millions to a foundation that supported a boys’ orphanage. By 2005 the foundation was sponsoring over 1,100 boys. The value of the endowment from Hershey’s gift reached eight billion dollars making it greater than that of Harvard or Yale Universities. While there have been critics who charged that the town and boys’ school are not fulfilling all of the tycoon’s intentions, the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, and the boys’ school continues to function and thrive. Nevertheless, despite the enormous funds supporting the school, even it will not last for eternity.

The apostle Paul cautioned, “
Each one’s work will become clear, for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward”
(1 Corinthians 3:13-14). How long will your life’s investment endure? Until you leave your company? Until your heirs spend their inheritance? What are you investing in today that will outlast your grandchildren?

What are you giving your life to that will last for an eternity?

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. Of all the work you have done, what of your labors or investments will last the longest? What of your accomplishments will be most appreciated by the next generation? Why?
   

2. How are you preparing your heirs to handle what you give them one day?
   

3. What is the one great contribution to society and to the Church that your life has, or will, make?
   

YOU THINK
YOU
have problems! How would you have liked to be Warren Buffet? An economic downturn in 2008 caused the value of his personal assets to drop by 25
billion
dollars! As of April 2009, they had been reduced to only 38 billion
.
To make matters worse, his financial free-fall reduced him to second place among the world’s wealthiest people behind his good friend, Bill Gates at 40 billion. Fortunately for Gates, he only lost 18 billion so he was able to overcome Buffet and regain the top spot. The year 2008 was difficult for billionaires. Their number dropped from 1,125 to 793 worldwide (
Forbes,
3 March 2009).

Buffet spent most of his life making money. When he was ten he read the book,
One Thousand Ways to Make $1,000.
It offered a seemingly sure-proof path to wealth. Buffet made it his goal to become a millionaire by age 35 (Alice Schroeder,
The Snowball,
64-65). His story is legendary. He launched numerous companies while he was still a young boy. Yet even as he reaped financial success he was always reluctant to part with his money. He arranged a deal with a local newsstand to buy week-old magazines at a reduced price. Buffet gambled on horse races. When he was 16, he lost his first bet of the day and then continued betting, desperately trying to recoup his losses. By day’s end he had parted with $175, a considerable sum at that time. All the way home Buffet painfully calculated how many papers he would have to deliver on his paper route to recoup his devastating losses (
The Snowball
, 109).

Buffet hated losing money. Fortunately for him, over the years he earned much more than he lost. Not everyone recovers from financial losses. Adolph Merckle with assets valued at 9.2 billion dollars was the fifth wealthiest person in Germany. Yet when his company entered turbulent financial waters in 2008, he vainly attempted to stave off financial ruin. Losing all hope, he made his way to a nearby train station and stepped into the path of a speeding locomotive (
Forbes,
3 March 2009, 76). For some, the loss of wealth is irrecoverable. Others view it merely as a road bump. It depends on the role money plays in your life.

Christ left heaven’s throne room to serve God’s kingdom purposes. Though a King, He did not spend His time pursuing wealth. He knew His earthly sojourn was brief. He invested in eternity. Jesus sagely advised, “
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be”
(Matthew 6:19-21). The problem with money is that it can become all-consuming: the obsession with earning it; the fear of losing it; the pride of accumulating it; the stress of preserving it; the pressure to distribute it. Jesus knew money could gain a stranglehold on the most pious. He recognized the rich young ruler was controlled by his money. So Jesus sought to pry him loose of its suffocating grip (Luke 18:22-23). Christ will work to establish His priority in your life. He knows accumulating money is dissatisfying. Buffet ultimately chose to give away the bulk of his fortune. Does your money possess you? It is easy to tell. Observe how easily you give it away and how much you suffer when it is lost.

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. How important is money to you? How easily can you give it away? How painful is it when you lose it? Does money play too important a role in your life?
   

2. What is your plan to invest your wealth in eternity? How have you been intentional about ensuring that the most money possible is invested in the Lord’s kingdom work? How many different ministries and Christian efforts do you currently support? How could you increase the level of support you are giving?
   

3. Do you receive more joy out of earning or giving your money? Are you a “cheerful giver”? Take time to pray and ask God to place His heart for giving generously over yours. Don’t quit praying until you are as generous a giver as God is!