“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
— Matthew 6:19–21
Reflection:
We pour decades of our lives into careers, savings accounts, and retirement plans. We track every investment, thinking of the day when we can finally rest from our labor. And yet, even the best earthly pension is fleeting — a few years of comfort before the inevitable call of eternity.
In his spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda offers a striking analogy that bridges the practical and the eternal. He wrote:
Yogananda put it plainly:
“Men work a lifetime for a pension that will last a few years; how few work for the eternal pension of God’s peace, which will accompany the soul beyond death. The wise devote themselves to earning both — supplying the needs of the body, and, above all, securing the imperishable wealth of divine realization.”
God knew our time here would be short — a single tick on eternity’s clock. Our life is but a vapor (James 4:14), yet in this vapor, we are given the chance to prepare for a future without end. The same diligence we apply to building a 401(k), a business, or a savings account should pale in comparison to the diligence we give toward building our eternal inheritance.
The true pension plan of the soul is built through faith, prayer, acts of love, and a deepening relationship with Christ. These investments never lose value, cannot be stolen, and will follow you beyond the grave.
Here’s my challenge to myself and you. Take an honest look at your daily energy and priorities. How much is going toward the “temporary account” — the needs and comforts of this short life — versus the “eternal account” that will carry into the life to come?
Prayer:
Lord, teach me to number my days and invest them wisely. Help me to balance my earthly responsibilities with my heavenly calling. May my heart’s greatest wealth be found in You, and may I never forget that this life is only the foyer to the eternity You have prepared. Amen.
