The last time I checked, God does not live in temples made with hands [Acts 7:48, 17:24]. But the Notre Dame has gotten more attention since the fire razed it down; as if it is God’s earthly residence each time He visits the earth. What is in a temple? Why do we place so much priority in rebuilding a temple than helping mankind have a sincere relationship with God? How many of those who have donated to the course of rebuilding the Notre Dame have missionaries they are sponsoring or have sponsored across the globe, taking the message of the kingdom of God to the unsaved? In less than a week after the fire, over a billion Euros have been pledged to rebuild the Notre Dame.

Mankind today suffers from all kinds of attacks, begging for the world’s attention. And yet, it appears those who are supposed to rise up to these numerous challenges bedeviling human existence are looking the other way. Today, almost half of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty. But it seems the wealthy would rather give to the course of rebuilding a temple than help humanity escape the scourge of poverty. Many of them would rather give to the rebuilding of Notre Dame than sponsoring a program that would have the unsaved come to the knowledge of God.

I remember the Apostle Paul charging up Timothy in the book of 1Timothy 6:17-19. It says: “Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.” [MSG] In the end, it is the number of people that you have been able to help with your riches or wealth that matters, and not on things that do not have eternal value.

Isn’t it funny how many hide under the guise of religion to appear righteous and self-worthy? What many worship today is religion, which is most times demonstrated in making the outside good, but the inner corrupt and full of evil deeds. Re-building of the temple is good, but God values human souls, human lives more than these things.

In Matthew 25:40, the Bible says: “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” That passage simply tells us the importance that God places on human lives. Whatever you do to people in the name of the Lord is what that matters. It is what would count at the end of the day, and not the number of temples that your wealth was able to build. Jesus’ death and resurrection isn’t about how many numbers of temples we are able to build in His name at the end of the day, but how many souls we are able to win into His kingdom.

Stay Blessed!

[Centre for New Dimension Leadership]