How much is enough? How much money would you need to have before you would consider yourself wealthy?
Let’s start with one billion dollars, shall we? One billion is a thousand million, so if you decide to spend, say fifty million on a house, you still have several hundred million dollars left. Is that enough?
Did you happen to notice that I used the word wealthy and not riches?
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Mal. 3:10)
“When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?” (Matt. 19:25)
That is how ingrained being wealthy, prosperous, is in us, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, Solomon, the list goes on, serve the Almighty with fear and trembling, in humble service to His will and the wealth of this world will be laid at your doorstep. And then the Lord Jesus Christ comes along and says,
“And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (Matt. 19:24)
So then, how much is enough for you?
Since the Lord said those words nearly every born-again believer thinks they are supposed to live just above the poverty line, that the wealth of this world is to be despised, even rejected, and those who claim to serve the Almighty who attain to great wealth must be in some hidden form a hypocrite, not truly saved.
I will put here now the verse that each of you who are reading this short letter just thought of, to save you the time of rehearsing it again, for the millionth time, in your head.
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1st Tim. 6:10)
And so you will do as untold numbers of brothers and sisters in Christ have done before us, you will attempt to say to yourself that what you consider today as incredible wealth, those tens of millions of dollars, would only be an entrapment to you, that that wealth would draw you away from a heart of continual service to the will and Word of the Most High, right?
So then, what does that say about your faith?
You would be wise to seriously consider that last sentence.
And so, what you do is try to make yourself believe that you are content with what you have, that it is where financially the Almighty wants you to be. That the crumbs from the table satisfy you, don’t you?
Only those who covet could think that way, isn’t that a truth also?
“And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” (1st Tim. 6:8)
Jesus was poor financially, so I should be poor. Abraham and all those others mentioned were loved and used more by the Almighty than I am, so they deserved to be wealthy.
That my friends, even when we will not admit it to ourselves is how many who serve Christ think. And if perhaps you are blessed to receive great wealth, you will either think yourself unworthy of it, or fear daily that you will lose it.
How much is enough? Is it possible to never desire more? Can we exist without wanting?
I know of a content creator for the Lord that could, if he would accept it, receive thousands of dollars a month for his work, but he will not. And do you know why? Because he could not understand this short letter.
Would being wealthy in this world make you poor in Christ? Are we closer to the Almighty when we are poor in the things of this world?
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)
When you can discern the difference between riches and wealthy, you will understand this letter.