Bank On Something Better
Written By: Frieda Dowler
When I was first assigned the topic to go along with our sermon series, “Secrets Rich people know”, I thought it must still be a secret. Because I’m not rich. So the question I’ll answer is, what do I know about riches?
I know we need money to navigate this world. It is our main system of bartering for what we need and want in this life. Everything from birth expenses to funeral expenses. And whatever we earn, or are gifted, or find will determine the lifestyle we live.
I know for many, money is a god, with a small g. It’s life’s pursuit. The more money, the more respect one will have and the more pleasures one will consume.
I know there are many rich people who don’t have wealth. Their lives are joyful because of knowing God rather than having money.
I once had a millionaire uncle. My dad was his brother, and they grew up very poor. They would say they had to move every time the rent was due. There were eight kids, a mom and a dad who was always gone trying to sell something so he could feed his kids and try to pay the rent. In all fairness, it was during The Great Depression.
But my millionaire uncle worked hard to provide better for his family and to gain respect from the community he grew up in. Eventually, they named a street after him. But in the end he died broke.
He flaunted his wealth, once throwing a hundred-dollar bill out the window at me in a parting gesture. He was generous, but his motivation was not pure. Because he didn’t know Jesus and never wanted to talk about it, he couldn’t truly love anyone but himself. He hoped his wealth would make up for being poor when he was young.
His wife taught Sunday school and took their four children to church faithfully. She always prayed for him to know Jesus. When the kids were grown and gone, he developed ALS, in those days known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He ended up broke because he spent all his money trying to regain his health. But he died a happy man.
The good part of this story is, he came to know Jesus. When he couldn’t depend on his own efforts any more, when he had come to an end of his wealth, he reached out to someone greater than himself, God. One of his sons gave the eulogy, saying his dad’s disease was worth it because it led him to know Jesus.
The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that wealth, like life, is fleeting. It further says that money cannot ultimately satisfy. Ecclesiastes teaches we should use our money for a purpose with eternity in mind.
“Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness. Ecc. 5:11 NLT.
Other parts of the Bible tell us that God gives us the ability to get wealth. From this we should learn it is a gift. With that gift, we should learn to be good stewards. We should invest in things that have eternal value.
“Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.” Deut. 8:18. NIV.
In our earthly life, we need money to navigate. We should regard money as God’s provision for us on earth. Without God, we don’t have the ability to prosper on earth. No matter the amount we earn, God will make our efforts in this life enough.
“I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” Psalm 37:25 NIV.
It may seem that money is irrelevant in the light of eternity, but God requires each of us to be good stewards of our earthly benefits. If earth is a testing ground for our faith, then we would be wise to pay attention to our money on earth, no matter how much we earn.
“And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” Luke 16:11 NLT.
So what’s the secret truly rich people know? Because truly rich people are those who are well supplied and live abundantly. It’s not about how much money we have, it’s about where our heart is. Do we treasure what money can do for us on earth or do we treasure what is in heaven’s vault?