Treasure You Can Keep

What if you spent your entire life accumulating wealth only to have it wasted? Author Randy Alcorn, in his book The Treasure Principle, tells about two men who approached this subject very differently; one man kept his treasure, the other man wasted it.

If you walk down the dusty back streets of Cairo , Egypt , you might stumble onto a cemetery for American missionaries. One of the tombstones reads “William Borden, 1887-1913. Borden, an heir to great wealth, rejected a privileged lifestyle in order to share Christ with Muslims. He would not even buy himself a car. Instead, Borden gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars to missions. After only four months in the field, he contracted spinal meningitis and died at the age of 25.

The epitaph on Borden’s tombstone describes his love for God and for Muslim people. Here is how the inscription ends: “Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation for such a life.”

The King Tut exhibit at the Egyptian National Museum stands in sharp contrast to the humble grave of William Borden. Here is the description in Alcorn’s book: “Tutankhamen, the boy king, was only seventeen when he died. He was buried with solid gold chariots and thousands of golden artifacts. His gold coffin was found within gold tombs within gold tombs within gold tombs. The burial site was filled with tons of gold.

The Egyptians believed in an afterlife – one where they could take earthly treasures. But all the treasures intended for King Tut’s eternal enjoyment stayed right where they were until Howard Carter discovered the burial chamber in 1922. They hadn’t been touched for more than three thousand years.”

Practical Help

It is less painful to learn from the mistakes of others. Where is King Tut now? Chances are good he is living in agony in eternity without Christ. His awful position is the result of a truth discovered too late – he couldn’t bring his wealth with him.

There is a principle found in Matthew 6:19-21 that shows the way: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

William Borden has heard the words “Well done, good and faithful servant.” He has entered into the joy of his Master because he understood what Randy Alcorn calls “The Treasure Principle”:

You can’t take it with you – but you can send it on ahead.

The views are those of Bruce Olmstead and not those of Summit Brokerage Services. Investments in securities do not offer a fix rate of return. Principal, yield and/or share price will fluctuate with changes in market conditions and, when sold or redeemed, you may receive more or less than originally invested.  No system or financial planning strategy can guarantee future results