Dying Rich

At the age of 21, in a Silicon Valley garage, college dropout Steve Jobs co-founded the Apple Computer dynasty.  Selling his Volkswagen van to help finance the venture, he teamed with Wozniak and two others to produce a primitive computer, priced at $666.66, which had no keyboard or display, and customers had to assemble it themselves.

35 years later, at the age of 56, Jobs died of cancer, leaving behind a company with a multi-national presence and hundreds of retail stores selling hundreds of millions of their iconic iPods, iPads and iPhone - not to mention Apple Computers and accessories.  Also, amassing a personal net worth of some $11 billion dollars, which is only a fraction of Bill Gates $79.3 billion USD, but still amazing to say the least.

One could easily say that he died a very rich man.  But one might easily be wrong.  When Steve Jobs died, he personally owned nothing of the Apple dynasty or the $11 billion USD wealth he had amassed.  All of it belonged to his wife, his partners and others.  He did not get to keep even one cent.  As Solomon once wrote: "For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it" (Eccl 2:21).

A bit shocking to think of it in that way.  Solomon called it "a meaningless chasing after the wind," but true nonetheless.  As Job put it, "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart" (Job 1:21).  That truth applies to all of us.  Whatever amount of material wealth you have managed to amass, you will not get to keep it.  It will go to someone who did not work for it.  And, by the way, whether that is your children or not, they will not keep it either.  Your wealth will go on to someone that you do not even know.

Nothing we gain in this world truly belongs to us except that which we gain in Christ.  Only the heavenly treasure he bestows on us will follow us into the world to come as well as enrich our lives in this world.  The only way to die rich is to die in Christ, which is why Jesus warns us, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." (Matt 6:19-20).  So tell me, how's your portfolio looking?  Jus' Ask'n.