A Proper Attitude Toward Accumulation of Wealth

And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." Luke 12:15

Trusting in worldly possessions is not only unprofitable to the soul; it is declared foolish by God. God said to him that put his trust in his riches, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" - Luke 12:20. You cannot take possessions with you when you die, possessions cannot buy forgiveness from sin. There is no way for a person to buy eternal life with God. God alone can redeem a soul. Don't count on wealth and physical comforts to keep you secure because you will never have enough wealth to keep from dying.

The rich and poor have one similarity - when they die, they leave all they own here on earth. At the moment of death (and all of us will face that moment), both rich and poor are naked and empty-handed before God. The only riches we have at that time are those we have already invested in our eternal heritage. At the time of death, each of us will wish we had invested less on earth, where we must leave it, and more in heaven, where we will retain it forever. To have treasure in heaven, we must place our faith in God, pledge ourselves to obey him, and utilize our resources for the good of his kingdom. This is a good time to check up on your investments and see where you have invested the most. Then do whatever it takes to place your investments where they really count.

Life is more than material goods; far more important is our relationship with God. Jesus says that the good life has nothing to do with being wealthy, so be on guard against greed (desire for what we don't have). This is the exact opposite of what society usually says. Advertisers spend millions of dollars to entice us to think that if we buy more and more of their products, we will be happier, more fulfilled, more comfortable, more secure. How do you respond to the constant pressure to buy? Learn to tune out expensive enticements and concentrate instead on the truly good life - living in a relationship with God and doing his work. The rich man in Luke 12:16-21 died before he could begin to use what was stored in his big barns. Planning for retirement - preparing for life before death - is wise, but neglecting life after death is disastrous. If you accumulate wealth only to enrich yourself, with no concern for helping others, you will enter eternity empty-handed.