Living Rich Toward God

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote, “...pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.” Pride is not just an attitude; it’s a sin that infiltrates the heart and distorts our perspective on the blessings we receive. The Bible has much to say about the dangers of pride, especially when it comes to material wealth.

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Jesus offers a vivid illustration of pride in the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-18: And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.”

At first glance, this might seem like wise planning—storing up resources for the future. But upon closer examination, we see that this man’s focus is entirely on himself. In just two verses, he uses “I” and “my” nine times, showing that he attributes his success to his own efforts. Not once does he acknowledge God’s provision.

The Dangers of Boasting

The Bible warns us against this type of pride. In 1 Corinthians 4:7, we are reminded:

“For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

Everything we have is a gift from God, and boasting as if we are the source of our success reveals a heart that has forgotten the Giver.

Instead, Scripture calls us to contentment and humility. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says:

“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”

This passage encourages us to be grateful for what we have, recognizing that every blessing comes from God.

It’s easy to be proud of our accomplishments. We work hard, save up, and see the fruits of our labor—whether it’s paying off debt, taking a vacation, or growing an investment portfolio. But is any of this really our doing?

The Bible teaches that God is the source of all good gifts. Any boasting we do should be about how awesome God is, not about how clever or successful we think we are. As 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 puts it,

“‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”

The Heart of a Faithful Steward

In the parable, the rich man’s failure lies in his heart posture. He isn’t being a faithful steward because a faithful steward understands that all financial blessings come from God. Faithful stewards use their resources to glorify God and serve others rather than hoarding their wealth for themselves.

Jesus continues the parable in Luke 12:19-20, where the rich man’s self-congratulation becomes even clearer:

“And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’”

Jesus concludes with the moral of the story: “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).

The Foolishness of Relying on Wealth

God calls the rich man a fool because he seeks security, joy, and hope in his wealth. He spends his life protecting his material possessions for his own glory. Yet, despite all he has, in the end, he has nothing. He misses the true source of wealth—being rich toward God.

King Solomon echoes this truth in Ecclesiastes 5:10-12:

“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.”

Material abundance can never satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. Only God can.

If you find yourself feeling proud of your financial achievements or anxious about your lack of wealth, Jesus’ parable of the rich fool invites you to reorient your heart. Instead of boasting in ourselves, we are called to look to Christ as the true source of life and abundance.

As C.S. Lewis wisely said, “As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”

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This article was published in our Faithful Steward magazine, a quarterly publication filled with encouraging stories, biblical teaching, and practical tools to help you grow as a wise and joyful giver. If you'd like to begin receiving Faithful Steward, consider becoming a FaithFi partner.