The Wealth of Character vs. The Wealth of Riches

Matthew 19:21-22
“Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he owned much property.”

This exchange between Jesus and the rich young man was confusing, even to His disciples. Jesus goes on to say to His disciples, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake shall receive many times as much and shall inherit eternal life.” Jesus was trying to help His disciples understand earthly priorities from a heavenly perspective. The rich young man desired eternal life. However, when he was advised to sell everything and come follow Jesus, he turned away grieved, because of his great wealth. He could not do what Jesus asked. Could we?

A Divine Revelation

A while back, I read the bestselling book, The Prayer of Jabez written by Bruce Wilkinson. It had quite the following with everything from cups to T-shirts reflecting this simple yet profound prayer. Jabez whose name meant “pain,” asks God to bless him beyond the destiny of his name and God answers his prayer. After referring this book to many of my friends, I began to hear from a few of them, that they believed the purpose of this prayer was to acquire wealth and success. This saddened me greatly. Why? Because I don’t truly believe this was the author’s intent for writing this book.

Unfortunately, material wealth is either seen as evidence of God’s blessing for a righteous life. Or it is seen as the guaranteed byproduct of one’s faith in God. However, Jesus speaks to the contrary in this account of the rich young man. His wealth became the greatest obstacle in his decision to follow Jesus. Jesus uses this encounter to share with His disciples a reality that most believers fail to understand. Few can possess great wealth and have the wealth of character or wisdom to handle it, or should I say, give it to God to handle. 

There are many examples in Scripture that show that wealth can be a spiritual hindrance, and not a blessing. However, I’m not sure poverty inspires a wealth of character either. Honestly, I believe that character is not measured by what we have, but instead, by what we do with what we have. It also has a great deal to do with our attitude toward the things we have. Sometimes the more we possess in the way of material wealth the more self-sufficient and independent of God we are. Also, like the rich young man, the more we have the more frightened we are of losing it and the tighter we hold on to it.

A Divine Challenge

God did not send His Son into the world positioning Him for great wealth or success but as the son of a carpenter. Not to exalt poverty, but to inspire His dependency on God who supplied His every need. In the book of Acts, the early church sold all they possessed to distribute it to those who had need. Could we? How many of us have the character to be able to handle wealth or the absence of wealth with an attitude of gratitude? How many of us see wealth as a blessing from God and the absence of wealth as a punishment from God?

Call to Action

Before we think too highly of ourselves, we need to remember this! Solomon with all his wisdom still became ensnared by the very wealth God had blessed him with. The early church in Acts had both material wealth and the character to handle that wealth. God used them to help all who were in need. Beloved, if wealth is what you’re praying for, be careful. You just might get it and if you don’t have the wealth of character to honor God with it, you may lose all else as a result.

Father, we are a privileged people in a privileged country. Compared to the rest of the world, the majority of Americans are exceedingly wealthy! Therefore, Holy Spirit give us the character needed to handle our wealth in ways that honor the Father. Teach us to give freely and generously when God asks us to meet the needs of others. Finally, when our wealth interferes with our relationship with God and others, convict us Holy Spirit so we can confess and repent of it. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!