This is so true. My sister and I both have come to the realization in just the last few years (we are 49 and 53) that we have too much "stuff". And we don't have anything near like some people. We are just to the point (and I guess this sometimes comes with age and wisdom) that what we thought was important 20 years ago is no longer as important as we thought it was. We are now looking forward to what is waiting for us in heaven and any "stuff" down here is just worthless. - JM

An old saying I heard years ago says - Want what you have instead of having what you want.
since we have been given the rewards of heaven as our rewards after this life, why work so hard to amass fortunes on this side of heaven.

As an additional thought what you own will soon own you, for the more you own the more time you must devote to maintaining ownership and the less time you will be able to enjoy the relationship of Jesus and the opportunities to share His love with others.
Does your stuff own you? Just think of all those hours spent in buying, insuring, maintaining and worrying over your stuff money- cars, boats, houses, how much will you take before Jesus to show Him how much His life meant to your salvation?
If I have a choice of riches here or eternal glory there then my stuff is a hindrance and weighs me down to the life I should live for Christ.
chris
- chris

I agree that money, or whatever we own, should not overtake our life.

But is there anything wrong with working hard and being responsible with what we have? If someone works hard (we're supposed to), gives money and time to church/charity, I don't see what's bad about wanting and aiming to be successful. I think that there's a fine line between what I've described, and greed. But if we're not greedy, and realize that what we store up here is meaningless when we die (i.e putting Christ first), I just cannot see anything wrong with being successful.

And I'm familiar with the verse saying it's more difficult for a rich man to get to heaven. I think that means it's much easier to let money/possessions overtake you if you have a lot of both. But maybe I'm missing something, I don't see it as saying it's impossible or wrong to save money and be successful.

This devotion makes me feel guilty for striving to be successful with work, and having savings accounts, 401ks etc...

Anybody have any thoughts? - Adam

Just a note.
This story of the fool is right out of Daniel. It happened to one of the kings Daniel worked for. He told the king during the party of an attack to take place that night. The attack was supposedly from a weaker country and the king had full confidence in his defenses.
The next day the king was destitute.
Check out the book of Daniel. - Hal

Adam, you should not feel guilty about being successful and having money as long as your priorities are straight. Savings accounts, 401Ks, etc., are all very important. We still have to provide for our families and save money for retirement. Most importantly in all of this is what priority do you place on your treasures? You obviously put God first and help those who are less fortunate. It's not that you shouldn't be successful. It's about who or what you worship. God wants us to be successful. - FCE

Wanting "more" is part of our evolutionary heritage. It's how society has advanced. I don't think we need to be ashamed of it, but it is a good practice to take a break from wanting now and then. - Erik

Adam, Do you remember Paul and how he learned to be content in all circumstances whether his financial status was low or high? I think that is an important standard. If you are striving for success for the sake of your own glory then perhaps you have the wrong motive and that would create guilty feelings. If you are striving for success to be able to better glorify God in some way then I think you will be content with your success. Do not worry about what others think but only try to please God with your actions. - Janice

Adam, I agree with Janice. There are people who have little in the way of material possessions who can be greedy and selfish and who covet "things" to the point of having a hardened heart, much more so than some people who are considered successful. It really does boil down to the motive and what the Lord sees in your heart and your actions. - Mark

Adam, yes it is alright to save and provide for yourself and your family for both now and later in life so you are not a burden on others unless it is nescesary. The Blble even says "a man who will not work will not eat", So God expects us to work to supply the things that we need to survive. It is when we put everything before God that we begin to sin against him. The Bible speaks of many people who were well off. God wants the best for his children. - Jerry

I have an issue with comments like "He has too much wealth" or "She makes too much money". What's too much? Where, Christians, do we say the 'cut off' is? When is it too much? If I own a Honda Accord, is that ok? How about if my neighbour has a Lexus? Excessive? I don't blame Britney Spears, I blame the idiots that bought her records. I don't blame TV Evanglists, I blame the people that foolishly send them cheques of their hard-earned money. - Olberman

Jonathon or Olberman or which ever name you choose to use at the time you are writing you bring up a good point, too much is just in the eye of the beholder. Usually anything someone considers too much is done so, thru jealousy and it is allways when the other person has it. I am like you in this respect, if a person has millions well that is good for their part. It just means I should work harder on my part if I want more. I have never envied anyone else when they have prospered or been promoted and I guess it is because of the way I was raised, my parents taught me that if I wanted more then put out more to get it. Today we live in a society that teaches if someone has an abundance then the government or someone else should take it. This is not the way things should be done. - Jerry

I don't think you necessarily have to be rich to be a hoarder or pack rat whatever you wish to call it. I myself am somewhat in the middle with my beliefs here I suppose. On the one hand because Solomon asked for wisdom and not wealth, God greatly blessed him with riches. On the other hand, there are the verses that warn against it including the one Solomon wrote about the love of money being the root of all evil. Proverbs is more of a life skill or wisdom book of the bible and not so much of a promise book. I'm figuring that Solomon had witnessed or perhaps struggled himself with the "love of money". I feel like basically the main problem is that money can cause us to take our eyes of Christ thereby making Him no longer the center of our lives. It also has the potential of causing greed which can then lead to other sins of crime. - Christ Follower

Good comments. As several note, there is nothing in the bible that says wealth in itself is a bad thing. Jesus made a point with the rich ruler because he knew his money was the most important thing to him. It's your attitude, and what you do with your wealth. So, I think you can be the richest person on earth and God would be happy for you as long as you had the right perspective about your wealth. We need to remember that God is really the owner of everything, and we are just stewards of what he blesses us with.

A good example of a wealthy, successful person with the right attitude is Truett Cathy, founder of Chick Fil A. He's worth over a billion dollars, yet he has always had heart for God and made Him a priority in his life and business, giving freely of his time and his money to help others. - Rick Y

Rick, I agree. My father has passed, but he knew Truett fairly well and I've met him and his son, Dan. He's a great guy. He's written several books about his business philosophy etc. I have several family members that work for chic-fil-a and it's a wonderful place to work.They're a very giving family. - Becky

It is true that having money is not a sin nor is there anything wrong with having it. Actually having money does not even bring happiness it will bring an illusion of happiness. True happiness is having the right order in our lives. God is to be above anything else, then our companions and family, then our jobs, after this things will line up as they need to be. God does bless people with money and riches but our freewill and our desires need to line up Biblically. I sometimes wish I had more money but God knows what I can handle and I am satisfied with that. - Jerry