You may not have heard of it but Charles Dickens wrote about it…and it stimulated the establishment of modern weather forecasting. What is it? The sinking of the Royal Charter ship in 1859 in a storm so violent it was named after the ship itself. About 200 vessels were sunk or severely damaged in the hurricane force winds. The Royal Charter was returning to Liverpool from the Australian gold mines with 480 passengers on board. In today's dollars it carried over $14 million in gold. Much of it was personally carried by the miners—sewn into their clothes and in belts of money they wore.
Only 40 people survived the sinking of the ship on October 26, 1859. Many of the people who drowned were the miners who wouldn’t relinquish the gold they had so feverishly worked for. The extra weight pulled them down to their deaths. This real life story shows how: “We can become very irrational when it comes to giving up our possessions. Gold notoriously turns men into fools.”*
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus warned against this mentality:
“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, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”—Matthew 6:19-21
Actually, read that again, because it's not just a mentality. Holding on to your gold while you go down with the ship is an attitude of the heart.
You can be fooled into thinking the "gold" you have is more important than it really is. You can be fooled into thinking that the goal is to accumulate as much gold in this life as possible.
The miners show us the ultimate destination of our earthly wealth—it stays here. Jesus reveals the greatest investment you can make is in building heavenly wealth.
Sarah and I will not go down with gold in our pockets! We want to add wealth to our spiritual accounts.Jesus inspires us to live and give generously—and so does Second Place. How about you? Are you living as if what you have is worth more than it is? What has a hold on you like the gold had hold of the miners?Your paycheck? Your quarterly bonus? Your car? Your house?
Sure, you've worked hard for it but none of it comes with you at the end of your life.Loosen your grip on that gold and build your heavenly account!
If you consistently give to Second Place, in any amount, THANK YOU!
