At 29 years of age I was a millionaire. I owned 30 apartment units, 2 restaurants, a large, 10-room home with pool, 3 cars, a motor home, land in 3 states and 2 countries, gold and silver coins, gun and music collections, investments and the list goes on and on. I considered myself pretty “religious” and “self-righteous.” I was raised in a large denomination and went to church every week. I believed I was doing what God wanted me to do. If I sinned, all I had to do was ask God to forgive me and I could go and do it all over and over again. I found that all of my decisions, no matter how small or large, were always connected with the following questions. How much money will I make? How much will it cost?
I worked 3 jobs and was completing my Masters degree in business. Needless to say, my family suffered. I was never home; my life was so full of stress that I searched for companionship outside of the marriage. While I thought I was blessed by God, it now looks like it was a temptation from the devil. All that I really valued (wife, children, health and happiness) were lost. My soul was dead. My passions were only for what people might think—not what God would think. I was doing up to 4 six-packs a day while enticing waitresses with money. When I went through a divorce, which prompted a bankruptcy, I was considering suicide because I had lost all of my material wealth. People who were my friends when I had money didn’t come around but many were quick to laugh at my failures.
A stranger came to my house one evening while I was drinking, smoking and watching TV. He was from a local church and wanted to talk about God and the Bible. I had never read the Bible before, at least not for its teachings on life, now and the eternal. I offered him a beer (which wasn’t too smart) and he started to share the Word of God with me. I never felt so much peace in my life as I did when I believed that Jesus loved me so much that He died for ME. My sins put Him on the cross and He loved me so much that He had to show me His love.
I finally realized that I was a better person without all those worldly things. I came into this world with nothing and I will leave with nothing. I can truly say that I am “born again” and Jesus is LORD of my life. I work for an employer who is bigger than NASA, JPL and the U.S. government put together. My mission is to collect souls for Christ and the real purpose in life is to glorify God in everything.
Paul is available for speaking engagements and seminars on Bible based topics: motivation, career development, computers, real estate, electronics, current events, Bible studies and men’s topics.
Christian Management Consultants International West Coast: (714) 535-2918 / East Coast: (412) 894-3902
Although you were blessed with many riches, you saw in the end that what we have here on earth is temporal and only feeds the fleshly desires. Praise God you were able to see the truth and you have a different perspective of what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ. God bless your calling.