Let's Get Rich
"Whoever said 'money can't buy happiness' really knew what they were talking about 😔." Elon Musk posted this on X, the social network he owns, the same month Forbes estimated his net worth crossed $850 billion. A few months later, he became the world's first trillionaire. He's given away less than 1% of it. I can't relate to his cash position, but I have the same spiritual struggle. I know more money won't make me happier, but I still want to see if I'm wrong.
Read 1 Timothy 6:3-21
A good friend recently visited a church where something felt off, but he couldn't figure out what it was. It wasn't until he saw the wellness supplements in the lobby that it clicked. Everything they taught sounded biblical, but the point of the teaching was to become healthy, successful, and rich. They imagined that "godliness is a way to material gain" (1 Tim 6:5). When our egos are inflated, we can't think straight, so we try to use God to get what we want. Once religion is another tool for getting ahead, nothing is left to check us. A church that aims for health and wealth gets bickering, envy, slander, and mistrust instead. The restless craving for more money seems like a way up in life. But once greed governs our heart, integrity is impossible. Relationships turn transactional. When God doesn't deliver upward mobility, we walk away. I saw a video of Tom Brady sunning himself on his $6 million yacht, all alone. The comments were split between jealousy and mockery. It's fun to one-up a Super Bowl champion, but I also want to be richer, better known, and more successful. I feel incomplete. I recently did some Zillow surfing for my dream lake home. I stopped when I saw a photo of a custom stacked-stone grill next to an infinity pool overlooking a lake at sunset. It looked like heaven. I started to wonder how I could justify living there. But my life is bookended with nothing. I had no possessions at birth, and I will exit the same way. In between, if I get wealth, it can make me arrogant, even as it can be lost at any time. Paul defines "enough": food and clothing. It sounds like Jesus praying, "Give us our daily bread." Paul never said, "Money is the root of all evil." He isn't condemning money but the lust for it. Poverty is a hardship, and wealth can be a means of serving. This passage has been twisted to manipulate people, but Paul wrote to give us true riches. Paul writes this in the presence of God. He knows that God gives life, and Christ allowed Pilate to take his life, so that we could take hold of the good life that never ends. God gives us righteousness to displace our greed, and gentleness to reverse our harshness. Grace turns us into people who love others instead of using them. God can only make us "rich" through service and generosity, because that's what it looks like to be as full of life as he is.
When have you noticed your desire for more is making your relationships feel transactional?
What do you think you need to feel complete?
Where in your life does it seem like God isn't enough for a good life?
Kneel, lift your palms up, or get into whatever physical position you can that indicates surrender to God. Then pray, "Jesus, you gave your life away for me. God, you gave your life to me. I have more than enough because I always have you. Give me the gift of godliness with contentment. Amen." Then scroll through your favorite shopping app, and find one purchase you didn't need. Give the same amount of money away. Text one person. Tell them what you gave away and why you did it.
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