Making Long-Term Investments

Lots of modern day people have used their wealth to honor God in massive ways. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-Fil-A, and David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby, close their stores on Sundays as a testament to their faith. Green has given away over a ½ billion dollars to charity. Others, such as Sam Walton, Mary Kay Ash, John Rockefeller, and Tyler Perry, have used their businesses to honor God and to fund Christian endeavors.

So wealth doesn’t necessarily corrupt you. But it did the fellow in today’s story. He began living for himself only, and then his life was over. It seems like Jesus is warning us that if we’re not careful, wealth can corrupt us, too. We can end up like this fellow making our life goal to take care of our possessions. Someone once said, “You possess your possessions and then your possessions possess you!” You think you own your stuff. But then you have to service it, clean it, repair it, mow it, wash it, and update it. And you discover that you don’t own your stuff so much as your stuff owns you!

My wife and I have been interested lately in the minimalist movement. We came across a little book by Joshua Becker entitled, “The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own.” Becky’s sister gave it to their mother, and we read some of it while in Europe, and then bought a copy once we were back home. Becker, a former pastor, contends that minimalism benefits us in so many ways, including giving us more time and energy, more money, more generosity, more freedom, less stress, less distraction, less environmental impact, higher-quality belongings, a better example for our kids, less comparison, more contentment, and less work for someone else when we die (Joshua Becker, “The More of Less,” Colorado Springs: Water Brook, 2016, pages 8-10).

Last week I came across an interesting blog entitled, “Why you should try selling everything you own (at least once in your life)” (“A Globe Well Traveled,” March 2, 2015). Ashlea, a businesswoman from Australia who is currently residing in New York City, said, “Selling everything you own changes you. It makes you realize that having a bunch of stuff is not actually important. It shows you that material possessions are not what make up who you are, and that it’s actually experiences and memories that make you happy.”

Isn’t this what Jesus said? Verse 15: “Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). You are more than the sum of your net worth. Your life does not consist of what you own.

The Apostle Paul gave his protégé, young Timothy, some sage advice when he said, in 1 Timothy 6, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. [Notice it’s the “love of money,” not money itself.] Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. ... Command those who are rich in this present world [that’s us] not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” (1 Timothy 6:10; 1 Timothy 6:17-18)