What It Really Means To Be Rich
Faith & Finance with Rob West
Some people think being rich means owning a lot of things—when in reality, being “rich” often means a lot of things owning you. The signs of wealth are all around us: luxury cars, upscale neighborhoods, designer clothes, vacation homes. But do possessions really make people rich in a way that matters?
Show Notes
Some people think being rich means owning a lot of things—when in reality, being “rich” often means a lot of things owning you. The signs of wealth are all around us: luxury cars, upscale neighborhoods, designer clothes, vacation homes. But do possessions really make people rich in a way that matters?
It’s hard to keep a Christ-centered perspective on wealth when our culture constantly pressures us to want more, buy more, and accumulate more. But this isn’t a new problem. Jesus warned in Luke 12:15:
“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”Money and possessions aren’t inherently bad, but they often tempt us toward greed, selfishness, and discontent. We need money to live, but when money becomes the main thing, it becomes a dangerous master.
When Possessions Begin to Possess You
Jesus doesn’t just warn against greed—He offers us the key to true life: don’t make your existence all about “the abundance of possessions,” or your possessions will start to possess you. Proverbs 23:4–5 echoes this wisdom:
“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone…”Material things can never give your heart what it truly craves.
In Luke 12, Jesus tells the story of a wealthy man who tears down his barns to build bigger ones, dreaming of a long, comfortable retirement. But before he can enjoy it, God says:
“You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
Jesus concludes, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”The man’s tragedy wasn’t just that his life ended suddenly—it was that he invested his soul in temporary abundance instead of eternal riches.
Eternity Written on Our Hearts
Ecclesiastes 3:11 reminds us that God has Deep down, we long for meaning, purpose, and eternal life—not just more stuff. C. S. Lewis put it well:You Might Also Like
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