Opinion

Where do you store your riches?

Rev’d Christina Rees has been reconsidering some of her priorities following an inspiring chat with a friend.

Recently, my husband and I were invited to a barbeque lunch – the first of the year! I spent some time chatting to our host, a man in his mid-40s whose job is to monitor the results of drugs being tested by a large pharmaceutical company. He had been given a promotion a few years ago and I asked him if he was due for another one. His answer surprised me!

Yes, he said, he probably was in line for promotion, but he had decided that he didn’t want to apply for a more senior position, at least for now. He explained that he enjoyed what he was doing and that his job allowed him to take holidays and to switch off in the evenings. He had started doing Park Runs and half marathons. Every weekend he and his wife went on a long bike ride, exploring different routes all on cycle trails.

He had observed his colleagues who had been promoted to the next level up in the company. They were on call all the time, even at weekends. They certainly earned more money than he did but it came at the cost of losing much of their free time, and worse, they could never really switch off. My friend didn’t want to swap his life for a life like that. I commended him for his for his priorities and his wisdom.

This conversation reminded me of one of my favourite passages from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel. ‘Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth,’ Jesus says to the people gathered around him, ‘where moths and rust destroy and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are.’ (Matthew 6:19)

Even though my friend likes his job and takes pride in what he does, he also places great value on having time to stay fit and healthy and spending time with his wife doing something they love. Perhaps most of all, he values having the peace of mind that comes from not being under relentless stress with all its corrosive side effects. His ‘riches’ are his relationship with himself and with his wife, not with earning ever greater sums of money and outwardly appearing to be more successful.

Talking with my friend made me feel chastened. It made me rethink about whether my own life was aligned with what I say I care about most or whether I was actually living according to a different set of values and priorities. I’m afraid to say that I think I have some more soul searching to do and some re-ordering of the time I spend on all my activities and commitments.

One thing I know: in doing this the Holy Spirit will be with me, helping me to make the right choices and decisions, helping me to live a life of greater purpose and integrity.

The image is courtesy of pixabay.com

Rev’d Christina Rees CBE is a writer and broadcaster, Associate Priest at St Peter’s Church, Sheringham and Director of the LI Tim-Oi Foundation, a charity that supports Christian women across the world with educational grants so they can follow their calling. Christina was born in the United States and grew up on a small wooden sailboat, travelling the world. She was a member of the General Synod of the Church of England for 25 years was awarded a CBE in 2015 for ‘services to the Church of England’. Christina’s books include The Divine Embrace and Feast + Fast – Food for Lent and Easter.

 

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