Have you been digging in your soul bank?

Mark 8:36
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?

The world is mine to take! I'm on top of the world! I'm living the dream.

We live in times when world domination is a desired goal in many levels. Bill Gates wanted to dominate the world of PCs. Steve Jobs beg to differ. Oprah wants to dominate the world of entertainment. So on and so on.

Take it down to our personal lives and all of us have some measure of wanting to dominate our own world. We rely on our own efforts to achieve domain over things and people around us. We strive for influence, recognition and pride.

But our verse today implies something quite sobering. In the end of every effort where we try to gain something in this world, there is always the danger of having to trade part of your soul for it.

Think about it, think about your past. I've been cashing in my soul for earthly gains all my life! Even when it is obvious, I still do it.

But think again, can you see any time where it was ultimately worth it to exchange part your soul for a temporal earthly gain? You may deny that, sometimes I would like to deny it too because of convenience. But we know the truth don't we? I do. Yet we continue to play the game.

Having said all that, I'm so overjoyed that our Lord God does not treat us in accordance to our performance. His grace transcends our ability to screw up. And we surely need it!

Nevertheless, we should ask God to remind us of this verse next time we go into our soul bank to cash in what we think is a treasure in this world.