How Are You Rich?

He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 

So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

—Luke 12:15-21

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The dictionary defines covetousness as: “Having or showing a great desire to possess something belonging to someone else.” However, in this parable the rich man didn’t want what someone else had. He wanted to hoard what he had. Part of what we have belongs to God and others. Keeping everything we possess for ourselves is covetous and greedy.

This rich man thought his abundance was just for himself. He missed the truth of Genesis 12:12, where God says, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.” The rich man also missed the truth of Deuteronomy 8:18, which says, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

The New Testament reveals the reasons why the Lord desires us to work. Through our labor, we can provide financial support for others (Ephesians 4:28) and abound in His good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). True prosperity isn’t selfish. It’s surrendered to God’s purpose and enables us to give (Acts 20:35). Those who use their money to meet only their needs are like the rich man in this parable—a fool.

This rich man wasn’t just scraping by. He had barns that were full. But he had harvested so much he was going to tear down the barns he had and build bigger ones. How much prosperity do we need to be satisfied? How much money do we require before we stop focusing on just our needs and begin meeting the needs of others?

Those who persistently seek more wealth in life, surpassing what is necessary to provide for their families (1 Timothy 5:8), are like the foolish man depicted in this parable. It’s foolish to gather wealth and hold on to it. We don’t know what is coming (James 4:13-15), and we certainly can’t take it with us when we die. 1 Timothy 6:7 says, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” Only a fool takes all he can get in life and uses it only for himself. The way we are rich financially toward God is to use our money to prosper His Kingdom and bless others (Matthew 25:40).

How would the Lord have responded if this rich man had given away his harvest and planted again to produce an even greater harvest? I think this rich man would have been praised, his wealth would have increased, and he would have been blessed throughout eternity (Mark 10:30). You can look at the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-23 and know the Lord wants increase, but that increase isn’t just for us.

This doesn’t mean we should have nothing. Those who give will be blessed with abundance in return (Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:6-10). The Lord “has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27). We can never out give the Lord. But money is God’s gift to give away. It profits us nothing if it is buried like the one talent in Matthew 25:18. We don’t give to receive. We give because it not only benefits others but also brings blessings to the Lord and our own hearts. Increase in our heart is what is important.

Our Pastor said yesterday, “We don’t determine how we die. We determine how we live.” Your life isn’t defined by what you own, your prosperity, or your success. It is defined by the Savior you allow to live and prosper in you. God wants you to thrive in this life to be a blessing. Your focus must never be on yourself, but on others and prospering His Kingdom. When you believe in your heart that the Lord has blessed you to be a blessing, you get your priorities right. You give out of your resources, knowing His resources are endless. 

If you are faithful over a few things, God will make you ruler over many things (Matthew 25:21). What you invest in His Kingdom and the lives of others will be richly returned. Nothing will destroy or steal the riches you lay up for yourself in heaven (Matthew 6:20).

Where is your treasure? Are you rich toward God? Where your treasure is, there lies your heart.