On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant was a passenger in a state-of-the-art helicopter that smashed into the side of a mountain. All nine people on board perished. Kobe, a super-star, super-rich, super-popular basketball athlete, died at the age of 41.
I, like many others, were shocked at the news. How could someone in the prime of life die so tragically? There are many sad details to this. The loss of so many on this helicopter, the death of the teenagers, the suddenness of everything. But the reason Kobe’s death is making the news is that he was a fairly young, rich, and famous celebrity who died tragically and unexpectedly.
If you were to open the newspaper, you would see a multitude of people died on January 26. But 80 and 90-year-old deaths do not shock us. It is not even the death of a younger person. After all, younger people die all the time as well. What made the news was that a young, famous person died.
What I am getting at is that we often hold the rich and famous up on a pedestal. They have everything we want in this world. They have fame and fortune, so it is so shocking when we hear about them dying. But the reality is that no matter the size of your bank account, no matter the amount of fame, no matter the talents and influence you have, you will one day die. Money and fame are no insurers of life. One day, no matter what, every person will stand before God.
no matter the size of your bank account, no matter the amount of fame, no matter the talents and influence you have, you will one day die.
What I am about to say is not an indictment on Kobe. I know nothing about where he was spiritually. But I hope we will be reminded from a death like his that everyone, famous or not, will die. Therefore we should not put all our “eggs” in the money “basket”.
Jesus knew what he was saying when he said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20).
Why should we not rely on money? Because it is temporary! It is nice to have in the immediate, but it will do nothing for your eternal self. Money is to an adult what a Slurpee is to a child. It is something we really want, something that will make us happy for a moment, but something that will not help us in the long run. Solomon, a mega-rich dude in the Old Testament, said, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money…” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).
I am not saying that money is evil. I am not saying that wanting to make money is bad. What I am saying is that relying on money is a recipe for disaster. The story of Kobe (and many other prior to him) shows us that even rich people die. Even rich people will eventually lose all they have gained. And there is no way to bring that money with us.
Money should not be our main focus in life and we should not rely on it to give us life. We all need a little of it to get by, buy food, and meet our physical needs, but we should not spend so much effort on attaining it that it takes our attention off of God.
One day, we will all stand before God. No matter how rich, famous, or talented you are. Every person will be judged. And God does not take bribes. There is no amount of money that will get you into heaven. So let’s make sure that is not our number one goal in life. Because if it is, you are in trouble.