trade it all?

A friend of mine put this question up on Facebook last night:

Michael Irvin “would trade it all for 19-0” and wonders: What would you trade it all for?

a question like that crawls up into my brain and rolls around for a little while.

first of all the lawyer in me wants to explore the parameters of the question for a little while to avoid answering. what do you mean “trade it all?” what is getting traded? what are you left with afterward? family? fame? fortune? flea bitten fauna?

If “trade it all” really means all, then that makes the question a lot harder, because what is the use of getting whatever you are trading to get if you don’t have family with which to share it?

See the thing is that I know the right answer is “Kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 13:44-45. But this is a case where knowing the right answer and feeling it seem to be two different things.

would I really give up everything in exchange for the Kingdom of Heaven? really? Or would I rather the answer be ten million dollars so that I don’t have to worry about money anymore? If the latter, then is financial security the idol that I trust more than God?

would I really give up everything in exchange for the Kingdom of Heaven? really? Or would I rather the answer be kids that turn out ok, get good educations, marry nice people and in turn have kids that turn out well? If the latter, then is family security the idol that I trust more than God?

would I really give up everything in exchange for the Kingdom of Heaven? really? Or would I rather the answer be health and a long life? if so, then is health and life on this earth the idol that I trust more than God?

would I really give up everything in exchange for the Kingdom of Heaven? really? Or would I rather the answer be ________________? If so then is ___________________the idol that I trust more than God?

See what I mean? questions like that end up rattling around for a little while. Maybe the answer is to stay off Facebook to avoid them. Maybe? :->