BY SOLOMON OKPO
We move through this world chasing influence, wealth, titles, and recognition, often mistaking these fleeting things for true success. Yet history is littered with powerful men and women, dictators, politicians, and elites, who once commanded fear and admiration, but today are nothing more than memories. Their riches could not follow them. Their power could not preserve them.
The hard truth is this: no matter how much one acquires, no one truly “makes it” in a sinful world defined by temporary gains and moral tests. What endures is not the size of a bank account, but the depth of one’s humanity.
Scripture speaks clearly about this reality. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, we are reminded that “vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). This is not a condemnation of success, but a warning against empty pursuits, achievements disconnected from purpose and compassion.
Likewise, the Gospel of Mark asks a piercing question: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). It is a direct challenge to anyone who rises by exploiting others, who uses power to oppress the weak, or who hoards wealth without lifting lives.
We are not here merely to accumulate, we are here to impact. Every position held is an opportunity to serve. Every idea conceived is a chance to uplift others. Every resource acquired is a tool for transformation. When these are withheld, when innovation is buried in selfishness, then life itself is diminished.
The Gospel of Matthew teaches that whatever we do for “the least of these,” we do unto God (Matthew 25:40). This places compassion at the center of existence. It means the poor, the vulnerable, and the forgotten are not burdens, they are divine assignments.
Death is the great equalizer. It strips away titles, dissolves wealth, and silences influence. What remains is legacy. And legacy is not measured by possessions left behind, but by lives touched.
People do not weep deeply because someone was rich or powerful, they mourn because someone was kind, just, and impactful. They remember the one who stood for truth, who lifted others, who chose compassion over cruelty.
So the question is not whether one has “made it,” but whether one has mattered.
In the end, a meaningful life is not about what you gather, it is about what you give.
