His name was Alfred…. He dropped the newspaper and put his head in his hands. He had just read his own obituary. The year was 1888 and he was a Swedish chemist who had made his fortune inventing and producing dynamite and nitroglycerin. His brother, Ludwig, had died in France, but the obituary in the paper was not his brother’s – it was his. Here is what the headline said: “The Merchant of Death is Dead.” The article went on to describe the fact that his life’s work had been getting rich by helping greater and greater numbers of people kill each other.
Alfred was stunned to think that above all his other accomplishments he would be forever remembered as the man who gave the world its most destructive weapons. Shaken by what he read, Alfred had a moment of truth. He decided he would make a major life-change at the age of 55. He decided to start over and use his wealth to leave a different kind of legacy. Eight years later, when he died, he left more than $9,000,000 [many more millions in today’s currency] to annually fund awards for people whose life work benefited humanity. Recipients include Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Schweitzer, Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry Kissinger. So today when we hear the name Alfred Nobel, we no longer think of dynamite, we think of peace.
So if you could read your obituary, how would the headline read? Would you make a major change today to insure that you are remembered in a way that will honor God and result in His kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven?
Pray with me…. Our Father in Heaven…. For most of us, our greatest legacy will probably not be a monetary fund in our name. But, it could be something far greater…. The influence we can have for Christ on another person. Convict us that it is never to late to make a change and invest in the unseen things, which are the things that matter most. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Ken
No comments:
Post a Comment