Don't Let You Barns Get in the Way!

In Luke 12 we read a parable that Jesus shared concerning a man that went out and viewed his barns.  As he stood gazing at them he said to himself, "I have received such a good crop that I worry I won't have anywhere to store my grain, therefore I will tear down these small barns and build greater ones.  After I have done this I will tell my soul, take thine ease, eat drink and be merry."

Te Lord responded to this man's attitude,"Thou fool, this night your soul will be required of thee, then whose shall these things be?"

It occured to me that there was nothing wrong with his enterprise of growing crops.  There was nothing wrong with his possesions of the barns.  There wasn't even anything wrong with tearing down the barns and building bigger ones. 

So what did the man do wrong that incurred such strong language from the Master?  I believe the Bible teaches that his sin was that he was so preoccupied with the things of this life and this world that he failed to look beyond these material things and make a preparation for eternity.

Everyday we see people with this mindset.  They are so full of the things of this present world that they fail to see beyond those things that take their attention in this life and make preparations for the next.

I had some folks in a church that I once pastored that little by little let their eyes stray away from the goal of a heavenly home unto things that were temporal.  I watched as they let down on one Christian value after another until there was nothing left that they held as sacred or precious.  The last time I saw them they felt that there was no such thing as sin.  In other words they became so preoccupied with the world that they could not "see beyond their barns." 

Earthly pleasures and temporary pacifiers became so important that they never stopped to think of their own mortality. 

As a young man I felt that I would always be here.  I had no concept of my own finite existence. I felt that I would live on forever in this earthly body.  Many feel the same way.  Today, though, I see those around me that I have lived the lion's share of my life with, that the Lord has called home.  This has made me very aware that I need to "look beyond the barns". 

We all fool ourselves (thus the Lord said,"Thou fool") if we fail to see that we were placed here for one reason only. That reason is to prepare for ourselves for eternity. To be so earthbound in our attentions that we fail to see toward the future is foolish beyond reason.  

It has been said,"What shall a man profit if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?"  How true that is! It doesn't matter how much we have stashed away for our old age if that age doesn't come.  And even if it does, it is just a short time and we must face the judge of all the earth. 

Today is the day of salvation.  Look beyond your barns and in the light of eternity they will fain pale.  The question that matters in the end is, have we made proper preparation for our eternal flight?

I urge you therefore to look beyond the barns and give your heart to Jesus Christ today.  Tomorrow will come sooner than we can imagine.