True Riches
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 7:00AM MAD21 By Pat
The world in which we live has a very materialistic view of what makes a person wealthy and successful. The bigger the car, the higher the salary, the more spacious the house, the more successful we are perceived to be. And so, we tend to live our lives attempting to acquire more and more so that society can see how prosperous and accomplished we are.
But Jesus had a very different take on what makes a person wealthy. In fact, Jesus made it clear that the less you have materially, the more you have spiritually. In Luke 6:20, Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God." In Matthew 19:16-23, the story of the rich young man, Jesus is asked what the man must do to attain eternal life. The man willingly kept God's commandments, but when Jesus told him to sell everything he owns and give it to the poor, Matthew's account tells us that when the young man heard this, he went away sad because he had great wealth.
Jesus was pointing out the danger of falling into the trap of loving things, money and wealth and how difficult it can be to give it up. In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus says, "Do not store up for yourselves riches on earth, where moths and rust can destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves riches in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
To Jesus, real treasures are not tangible, and true riches cannot be bought or collected. True riches are love, kindness, compassion, mercy and forgiveness. They are a word of encouragement. An unselfish act. They are all the things we ask Him to give to us so that we can receive them and give them back out to the world generously, so that the world can see what Jesus looks like. And so as Christmas approaches, I will attempt to simplify, and focus on what true riches are, what true gifts are. I will not find them in a store. I will find them in my heart, lovingly placed there by Jesus, the greatest gift of all.
Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.