Elvis Presley – 1970 – Wikipedia Commons
It came out through court documents that Elvis Presley’s 100 million dollar fortune inherited by his daughter Lisa Maria Presley is gone! She has sued the financial manager for mismanagement, but he has countered, blaming it on her reckless spending habits. Most of us can’t fathom such a fortune. We also can’t imagine losing such a fortune.
When I read this story, I thought of some lessons and spiritual thoughts from it.
First, I wonder if my kids can lose what I am leaving them? How many parents work hard and leave a good inheritance, maybe not 100 million, but the children go through it quickly? While many parents spend a lifetime accumulating wealth, the fact that it can be lost easily should show us the vanity of such a pursuit. Jesus teaches us to “not lay up treasures on earth” where it can be lost, but to “lay up treasures in heaven” (Mat. 6:19-20). While I desire to leave something materially to my kids, my number one priority is to leave a legacy of faith and trust in God. If I lead them to faith and trust in Jesus, His truth will never leave them or be lost.
Second, this story shows the fleeting nature of wealth. Proverbs 23:5 says, “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” Lisa Maria must feel like her wealth has sprouted wings and flew off to the sky. Wealth is not dependable. Paul wrote, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17). We should wisely use wealth to enjoy our lives and serve others, but never depend upon it. It can be gone suddenly.
While it may sadden some Elvis Presley fans to know that his fortune is gone, I hope we can learn some lessons from it.
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Source – http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/06/20/elvis-presleys-100m-fortune-gone-daughter-lisa-marie-claims-in-lawsuit.html
