Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.
He
loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated
her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much and
was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared
that one day she would leave him for another.
He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his
confident and was always kind, considerate and patient with him.
Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she
would help him get through the difficult times.
The King's 1st wife was a very loyal
partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and
kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him
deeply, he hardly took notice of her or even fed or clothed her
properly!
One day, the King fell ill and he knew
his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now
have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone."
Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I have
loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered
great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me
company? "No way!", replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without
another word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.
The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I
have loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and
keep me company?" "No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When
you die, I'm going to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the! 2nd wife, "I have
always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I
die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help
you out this time!", replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only
walk with you to your grave." Her answer struck him like a bolt of
lightning, and the King was devastated.
Then a voice called out: "I'll go with
you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The King looked up, and
there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from
malnutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, "I should have
taken much better care of you when I had the chance!"
In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:
- Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.
- Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.
- Our 2nd wife
is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for
us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
- Finally, our 1st wife
is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures
of the world. However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us
wherever we go.
MORAL: Cultivate,
strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will
follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.