“There are two ways to be rich. One is by acquiring much. The other is by desiring little.” Please read that again, slowly, and consider which category you fall into.
I used to be that girl who tried to acquire much. My husband tells people that there was a time early in our marriage when packages were delivered to our home every single day. You name it, I ordered it: books, purses, shoes, jewelry, clothes, home décor. And I had to go tanning. I had to get my hair professionally cut, styled, and dyed every several weeks. I had to go to the spa regularly for treatments. I worked hard in the Air Force – didn’t I deserve it whatever I wanted? But it was exhausting trying to keep up with my own whims and fancies, and it was breaking the bank trying to keep up with those dang Joneses. And to top it all off, the acquisition of “much” wasn’t satisfying that gnawing pit of hunger in my heart.
I searched the Bible for what might alleviate the discontent and depression that kept deepening. I also began watching certain women whom I admired to find what made them so attractive. In time I discovered that vanity was never a reason why we find certain people sincerely lovely. Sure, it was nice to look at nice furnishings in a nice house and a nice hairstyle atop a nice face atop a nice outfit. But is that what truly draws us to other people? Their nice, and nice-looking, stuff? Of course not.
What is it that genuinely delights God, and us, about certain people? We understand in our hearts that it’s not “the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes,” but it is rather “the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands” (1 Peter 3:3-5). Those are God’s thoughts, not mine.
We also know that people who exude love and generosity are quite wonderful to be around. So it’s no wonder that in 1 John 3:17 we see love and generosity combined: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
Now, let’s see why being truly rich (and, more importantly, satisfied) doesn’t require stockpiles of money.
- If I have less money because I give some away, I’ll be blessed on earth. God promises that if you give a tithe (10%) of your income to his church, he will bless you so much that there “shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). And it’s not just our local church but also our local needy to whom we must give. We can come up with all sorts of reasons why not to do so: “he’ll probably use the money for drugs” or “they don’t seem as sick as they say they are” Sure, we must give wisely. But God doesn’t provide caveats for our giving; he simply commands that we give. And he has dire warnings for those who are stingy: “whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed” (Proverbs 28:27). This is hardly the only verse that cautions against a lack of generosity; see also James 2:15-20, 2 Cor 9:6-8, and others.
Consider getting to know some of the low-income families at your church, school, or playground so that you can personally offer help to a family you know firsthand needs it and is worthy of it. Give to reputable charities in the wake of natural disasters or humanitarian tragedies.
- If I have less money because I’m focused on the right kind of “upward mobility,” I’ll be blessed for all eternity. Let’s face it: we live on earth for about 80 years. Being blessed for 80 years would be cool. But we’ll be in eternity for, well, eternity. If I could choose to be blessed for 80 years, or 80 billion years times infinity, I’d choose the latter.
If we give of our resources to those who need them, God will begin amassing a treasure trove for us in heaven, so that we can enjoy it not just for this short earthly life, but for all of eternity (1 Timothy 6:17-19). The first time you give to someone in need, there’s a deposit to your Eternity Treasure Chest. The second time, another deposit. It keeps growing, and there will be no end, or overdraws, or zero balances in eternity. Talk about return on investment!
- If I have less money because I’m not working, or I’m working less, I have more time for things that matter. I have three university degrees, so I could be making a good deal of money. Instead, I stay home and play, learn, sing, read, and grow alongside my kids every single day. That’s worth more than any amount of money I could ever earn.
I know men and women who work multiple jobs just to pay the bills – my heart and my respect go out to them. But when people choose to work multiple jobs or longer hours to pay for stuff and fluff – another outfit, one more toy, yet another vacation, the newest electronic – that means they’re missing out on time with their family, which is both free of cost and completely priceless, just to throw another object or pricy experience at them.
Spend less time earning money and more time tying bonds and making memories.
- If I’m satisfied by God alone, I don’t even want the junk money buys. Jesus taught about money more than any other single subject, but the verse that slaps me hardest in the face is Revelation 3:17: “You say, ‘I am rich. I have acquired much and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” Others may see our wealth and envy it. God sees that, because of our love of wealth, our souls are pathetic and rotten. Don’t be pathetic and rotten. Love God and others instead of stuff and experiences.
Above I admitted that in my early 20s I sought to acquire much and yet still felt unsatisfied. Now, nearly 2 decades later, I’ve learned more than a handful of lessons that have led me to a place of desiring little. God and his blessings are my source of joy: I have a wonderful husband, 2 great kids, a pantry full of food, and a walk-in closet that’s only about a quarter filled with clothes. What more could I need? Okay, so I do visit the salon and spa once a year…because certain things shouldn’t be sworn off forever. Right?
I have never spent less time or money pursuing my own desires, and yet I feel richer than ever. The peace of God which passes all understand guards my heart and mind against greed, selfishness, and anxiety that I don’t or won’t have enough (Philippians 4:6-8).
In closing, two truths: First, God’s blessings are not always financial; more often than not, we’re blessed not with money but with contentment and joy instead. Second, being rich is not inherently bad. There are plenty of generous, godly rich people. But when money, and the things money can buy, become more satisfying to us than God, we have set our hearts on an unwholesome – and potentially evil – path (1 Tim 6:10).
Choose to live a life rich with wisdom and joy, things which money cannot buy (Proverbs 3:13-14).
Good wisdom!
Thanks! 🙂