What Does It Mean to be Rich?

How do you measure wealth?   Do you consider yourself well-to-do if your 401(k) is making money or if your bank account is at a certain amount? 

Wealth by the today’s standards can be a confusing idea.  Some think they are wealthy if they have lots of toys like a big house, a new car, fast Internet, or a good paying job.  Yet, the overwhelming majority of the earth’s 7 billion people don’t have these. If you were to ask many of these “poor” people about their situation you would certainly get a different answer than what you may expect.  Recent studies suggest that if you have running water, some type of shelter, clothes to wear, and food to eat today then you are in the top 15 percent of the world’s most wealthy people.  You are rich afterall! 

Perhaps wealth isn’t to be measured by some outward standard but something more?   Proverbs 15:16 tells us, “better is  a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble.”  Money may bring stuff but stuff brings trouble!

History is full of stories of the richest of rich being miserable and alone.  John Rockefeller once said, “I have made many millions, but they have brought me no happiness” and Andrew Carnegie even admitted that “millionaires seldom smile.”  Money can’t buy love or joy.  The link between cash and a good mood can be greatly exaggerated.  If anything, material wealth only grows the desire for more material wealth.  That may be why Jesus once told a rich ruler to sell all he had before he could become a disciple.  Prosperity is found in our relationships.    We should consider ourselves rich in hope and love.  One  Proverb explains, “there is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;  And one who considers himself poor, yet has great riches.” 

Here’s a final thought to consider today…Money will buy a bed but not sleep; books but not brains; food but not appetite; finery but not beauty; a house but not a home; medicine but not health; luxuries but not culture; amusements but not happiness; religion but not salvation; a passport to everywhere but heaven.