“The real problem is not that we are different, nor that we disagree and have conflict. It's that most of us automatically view conflict as something negative rather than as a tool God can use to help us better understand ourselves and one another.

--Robert Ricciardelli”

Saturday, November 18, 2006

A Lawyer Goes To Heaven

A lawyer died and went to meet God in heaven. On top that seeming impossibility, this man did something else unbelievable. He managed to take a bar of gold with him!

Standing in line, waiting his turn to be examined, he starts to get nervous. He noticed a man off to one side. Looking around nervously, he shuffles over to the man.

“Can I help you,” the man asked helpfully.

“Um…uummm” he says uncertainly. “I-I’ve got a problem. I need to talk with some one in authority.”

The other man’s eyebrows rose. “My name is Peter,” he replied seriously. “I’ve got a little clout around here. I have to admit, this is pretty unusual. What kind of problem are we talking about?”

The lawyer looked around again. With a shaky hand he reaches into his coat.

“I-I-I managed to bring something with me.”

“Really!” Peter’s eyebrows rose up even higher. “That’s quite an accomplishment. What did you bring?”

“Well…This,” the lawyer said, and pulled out the gold bar.

“What? Just pavement?”

*************

We have a skewed view of what really matters—Christians and non-Christians alike.

Sure, the Bible says the streets of heaven will be paved with gold. I’ve even heard it said that statement is the psychological expression of poor Christians’ wish for a better after life.

However. let’s put that in a different perspective. Is pavement really something to be desired? Sought after? Not really. Pavement is something to be used to get us from here to there in this life. It’s a tool. And, really, money is no different than pavement.

Money is a very useful thing. We may have a lot of money in this life. We may not. Biblically speaking, we must handle it faithfully in this life. But, in the eternal perspective, it isn’t supposed to be the driving desire of our hearts. When it is, money effectively becomes god.

So, is pavement god in your life?