Dr. Charles Stanley
Read | Luke 12:13-21
The belief that wealth equals success is a common misconception. True success means becoming who God wants you to be and doing the work He has prepared for you to accomplish. Jesus said the man in Luke 12 was a fool because he spent his life pursuing wealth but was not rich toward the Lord.
An idolatrous attitude about money is revealed by an insatiable desire for more, and materialism affects rich and poor alike. So whenever financial concerns have top priority in our thoughts and begin to dictate goals and desires, we can know we’ve succumbed to the foolishness of greed. Worrying about finances is actually a warning sign of not only misplaced priorities but also lack of trust in God.
Money is a vital part of our lives, but it should never come to have a higher place than the Lord intends. Everything belongs to God. We are merely stewards of all that He entrusts to us, and one day we’ll give an account to Him of how we have used what He gave us to oversee. Our goal shouldn’t be to become wealthy but, rather, to be found faithful.
In His great wisdom, the Lord has prescribed a remedy for our tendency to overvalue money. Giving it away breaks the grip of greed, teaches us to trust and obey God, and is an avenue through which treasure can be stored in heaven.
If you hunger for worldly riches more than the riches of knowing God, you’re climbing the wrong ladder of success. Eternal blessing is measured by a relationship with Jesus, not accumulation of money. Make Him your top priority and chief joy, and you’ll know true prosperity.
