September 6 I Sunday

Psalms 148-150

1 Corinthians 15:29-58

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.”  

—Ecclesiastes 5:10

There are some people who believe that money can solve all of life’s problems and have devoted their whole life to accumulating wealth. When contemplating how to get rich quickly, some have considered popular means such as gambling or playing the lottery. The British lottery was legalized in 1994 and five years later, a book was published with a collection of stories on people who have won enormous amounts of money. Although some of the stories were nice, there were also tragic ones on how the lottery destroyed a person’s life. One of the stories recounts a lady, who had won a large sum of money, being asked by a reporter on what she was going to do with her newfound wealth and she said, “I’m going to spend, spend, spend!” Years later, this lady spent all her money, went through three marriages, had no friends and lived the rest of her life alone.

      Proverbs 13:11 tells us, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” The biblical method to accumulate money is little by little and making it grow. If “little by little” seems too little, Proverbs 16:8 encourages us, “Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.” We are better having a little with righteousness because who we are is far more important than what we have.

      Solomon gives us a sobering perspective on what is the end of a life spent pursuing money, “For a person may labour with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it… What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labour under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest” (Ecclesiastes 2:20-23).

      Why wear ourselves out to get rich? When we die, we leave it to somebody else. This is why the Ten Commandments include a commandment to rest: “Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:9-10). We are intended to rest and remember that God is the one who provides everything. Nobody on their deathbed would say, “I wish I’d spent more time in the office.” Usually they talk about the relationships they neglected, not money they did not earn, because the value of life is not found in our possessions.

      May we flee from the love of wealth and recognize that no amount will ever satisfy us, but only one thing matters––a life spent pursuing God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for providing me everything I need. Help me flee from the love of wealth and set my heart on pursuing the only thing that matters––You.