My grandfather inherited one of the hotels, which my mother took over when she was twenty-two, and where my sister and I were born and raised. You could say that my great-grandfather's striking it rich changed the course of our family, and determined my destiny. As a friend once said to me when I commented on how he was always raising money for good causes, "With money you can make things happen." When I was fourteen years old I struck it rich when I discovered, what St. Paul calls, "the unsearchable riches of Christ". This discovery changed my life as it did his. Formerly he was an opponent of and persecutor of the first Christians. He approved of the stoning of Stephen. He began to destroy the church. He went from house to house in Jerusalem and dragged off men and women and put them in prison for their faith in Christ. But then he was struck down by the Lord and he discovered the unsearchable riches of Christ. He was commissioned by the Lord to carry the Message of Christ to the nations. Here is how St. Paul described it.

"This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.

And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through Christians like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels." (Eph.3:7-10, The Message)

St. Paul struck it rich in Christ and spent the rest of his life sharing those riches with others. These riches made things happen in the lives of countless people. What consists of the unsearchable, inexhaustible, incalculable, endless riches of Christ?

First, the riches of Christ's love.

If you know that God loves you and has a plan and purpose for your life, you know that you are valued and that your life has meaning. To know that you are infinitely loved, and that the love of God is poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit who is given to you, changes your self-image. You see yourself as a child of God beloved of the Father, and part of his family with many brothers and sisters in Christ. That love makes things happen in your relationships with others. The love of God in you is expressed in patience, and kindness. Love does not envy others, it does not boast, it is not proud, nor rude, nor self-seeking. Love is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. The love of God in you never fails but sees you to the end and goal of your life in heaven. Christ's love is riches indeed. Pray that being rooted and established in love, you may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge.

Second, the riches of Christ's peace.

If you know that Christ died on the Cross so that you might have peace with God and with one another you experience relief. The peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your mind from anxiety, fear, worry and all insecurity. Christ is your peace, your wholeness, your wellbeing. If you come to him when you are weary and burdened with all your troubles, he will give you rest for your soul, and peace at the last.

Third, The riches of Christ's grace.

If you know that you have been saved by the grace of Christ, and not by your own works or striving, you can rejoice in the mercy and kindness of God. He wants you to know the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to you in Christ Jesus. The riches of his grace do not have to be dug out of the ground. They are given to you freely. They are unearned. To benefit from them you must receive them humbly and thankfully, with repentance and faith.

Fourth, The riches of Christ's power.

If you know that Christ's incomparably great power when he was raised from the dead is yours also if you are in him, you need never fear anything in this world or in the age to come. When you have received the power of the Holy Spirit you have assurance of eternal life, confidence to overcome trials and tribulations, and courage to face whatever challenges life may bring you. You believe that God is able to do immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within you.

Fifth, The riches of Christ's wisdom.

If you know that Christ is always interceding for you to the Father that he may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better, that you may know the hope to which he has called you, that you might know exactly what it is he is calling you to do, you will be excited at what it is that he will reveal to you as you need it. Life becomes a voyage of discovery as you learn what God is doing and how he does it. Science and knowledge become means of exploring what God has done in the universe. As you age and mature you accumulate wisdom and experience and self-understanding that enables you to help others.

"If you want a life of adventure in which you have the privilege of serving God and your fellow men and women; if you want a life in which to express something of the overwhelming gratitude you are beginning to feel for him who died for you, then I would urge you to yield your life, without reserve and without delay, to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (John Stott)

With the riches of Christ you can make things happen in your life and in the world. Discovering the unending riches of Christ will change your destiny.

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