A Legacy of Blessing: Who Wants to be a MILLIONAIRE?
There is a lot of talk about wealth today. Economists tell us that this current generation is set to receive the largest wealth transfer of any previous generation. Advertising aimed at those in their early 20s extols the value of early investing for retirement—you can never have too much in RRSPs to meet your future retirement needs. TV shows like Who Wants to be a Millionaire add to the focus on getting, building, and looking for wealth as the stabilizing factor for a healthy lifestyle. Many people today count on that big inheritance from grandparents or parents to solve life’s financial problems. Many are looking to lotteries as a solution—all you need to do is win once, and you'll be set for life! Just the other day, my local news headline screamed that a new millionaire was crowned as someone had claimed the winning lotto ticket of a 40 million dollar jackpot!
So, who wants to be a millionaire? I’m a big fan of the Calvin & Hobbes comic strip. You might remember Calvin, his toy tiger Hobbes, and their many adventures. One of my favorites is Calvin announcing to his dad that when he grows up, he wants to be a millionaire. His dad responds that he will have to work very hard, to which Calvin responds, "No, I won't, you will. I just want to inherit it!"
As followers of Jesus, we, too, should be concerned with legacies and inheritances, but not the financial kind. Scripture commands us to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). This does not imply a carefree, hands-off approach to life but rather a responsibility first to do the work of the calling of God in your life, seeking Him as a priority before all other things. When we do this, God will meet our needs.
One of the inheritances we have received in the AGC is a spiritual legacy of faithfulness from those who have gone before us. The example of those who stepped out in faith, sacrificed time, energy, finances, and commitment, and saw the Gospel planted in areas with no gospel witness is a reminder for us today. Their concern was not personal wealth or a future retirement lifestyle; rather, in seeking God first, they established an association of like-minded churches dedicated to the authority of the Word of God and they lovingly shared that others might know the peace and forgiveness of Jesus.
In a world so focused on wealth, retirement, and lifestyle, we need to take a step back and reflect on what we today want our legacy to be and what we want to leave as a spiritual inheritance to the next generation that will follow us. Seeking God and His righteousness above all does not imply some prosperity gospel that obligates God to give us material things. Instead, it prioritizes our relationship with God from which everything else flows. All that He then entrusts to us belongs to Him, and is entrusted to us as stewards to use to do His will, not our own. The apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, put it this way, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:1-2).
We have all been entrusted with the mysteries of the Gospel —the good news revealed through Jesus. Let us then steward this as a sacred trust, proclaiming, sharing, teaching, and preaching faithfully as stewards entrusted with something of great value—the life-transforming message of the Gospel! May that be our legacy to the next generation!
Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness!
Rev. Bill Allan,
AGC President