For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? — Matthew 16:26

Some time ago I read the story about a man who seemingly had it all. He was extremely successful in his career. He was admired by many for his success and had an account that was full of money. The world would have looked at this guy and said the words, “he has it all.”

Except he didn’t. To get to where he was, he had left a lot of heartache and trouble along the way. He had lost his closest friends amid a chaotic work schedule. His wife left him as he was never home. There was little time for his children and they had become so distant that he never saw them as he got older. Yet, the world seemed to think that this man had a recipe for success.

As he recalled his position in life, he was asked one simple question by the person conducting the interview for the article. He was asked, was it worth it? Was it worth losing friends, family, children, and many other things in order to achieve all the success in the world? He simply responded “no.” While he had everything he could want, in the end, he was alone.

Jesus was teaching the disciples here in Matthew and he shared what is the profit for a man to gain the whole world, but lose his soul. Jesus is essentially asking the question to those around that day, is it really worth losing out on Heaven, for all the pleasures of this world? That is a valid question for so many in our day.

Unfortunately, there are so many today that are so focused on worldly success that they are overlooking the most important thing. Today, take a closer look and reflect on your priorities. Are the successes and pleasures of this world more important to you than the things of God? If so, we must as ourselves the question, is it really worth it?

Jared Dyson