Sacrifice vs Delight

hi all, =)
Back in my office since yesterday. Yesterday night I read another few chapts of Piper, and was pretty encouraged, esp by the things he talked abt wrt marriage and missions. He quoted quite a few examples e.g. Livingstone, Hudson Taylor etc who spent their lives in their mission field, and yet they were filled with joy at the mission field. Thats the attitude of a christian hedonist. U know many times we have this self pity mode that we are sacrificing so much of our lives, time, talents to the Lord, and this thinking totally revolutionalises that. Why? Cos Piper explains that going to the mission field is actually a hedonistic thing to do.
Mk 10:29-30
29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

To follow after Christ we actually gain more. Brothers or sisters as in the christian family and lands as in all the lands belong to God (another interpretation that as everyone shares what they have, what they have is yrs). And even more so eternal life.

Actually that spurred me to question other stuffs.
I wonder if you are a christian reading this? If so, do you believe in God?
If you believe in God, do you believe in Heaven?
If you believe in Heaven, do you believe that your inheritance is in Heaven?
If Yes to the above questions,
then
Why are we living our lives carelessly and accumulating wealth on this earth instead of being more active in outreach, missions and using our talents to serve God?

I know this is hard to swallow. When I was first asked this question whether I believe I should seek to live a simple life, and go and help the poor, I found it so hard to say yes, though it makes sense for us to. =)
Maybe we will never attain it, but yet at least we are aware of it all? =P

Sorrie to my non christian frens reading this who think I am mad. hehehe. I'm not, let me assure you. But also time to get philosophical...what does life mean to you? =)

Well having said all that I still believe in timing and preparation time. =) Jesus only began His ministry when He was 30. I believe that no time and experience is wasted. I pray that right now in my work place, God may use me, and that I may be moulded in my character first. And He may prepare my heart.

Thank you God for bringing me out of my self pitying mode. I'm so sorry for my bad attitude.