"Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep. There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost." ~ Ecclesiastes 5:10-14a
Life can change in an instant! We have all heard this phrase and many of us have lived through life altering events. This past week, a story has made headlines that is living proof that one can never take for granted that the riches one accumulates can be stored and never taken away.
A dentist from the United States went on a safari hunt in Zimbabwe. The riches he had accumulated through his practice took him to the other side of the world with a reported hefty price tag of over $50,000 to hunt big game. He hired the best hunting tour guides to help him obtain permits and find what he hoped would be the kill of a lifetime. I won't share my opinion on the rights or wrongs of this hunt, but rather how one decision this dentist made can change everything.
During the hunt, in one second, one pull of the trigger, the dentist's life has been forever changed. The gun was pointed at a lion that the villagers held dear and loved. This dentist who had accumulated wealth and prestige, now finds himself loathed by the community he served and by people around the world. He has now become internationally disliked and perhaps a very lonely man. Even those that may support him may feel the pressure to stay as far away from him as possible so as to not show any association with him.
The Bible heeds warning about the destruction of storing riches. Solomon, who most believe wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, may provide some great advice for us all. He wrote, "There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost."
Life's lessons can be tough ones. It's what one gains from the experiences that defines our character and faith in God. We can all fall into the trap of thinking that more money will be the answer to all our problems and provide so much for us, but in reality, we have to vigilantly understand that God watches closely how we use the gifts He provides for us. If we have a special talent, do we share it? If we have financial means that allow us to give more, do we? If we have extra time, do we use the time wisely? If we have the ability to pay it forward, have we jumped at the chance to do so? If we have the choice to condemn or grant grace and propagate peace, what do we choose in our relationships with others?
Maybe it isn't so much about having too much of anything, but maybe it is more about how we use what we are blessed to have in this life. Perhaps accumulated wealth of any kind that is used only for self indulgence isn't what God has in mind when he asks us to give our lives away for His sake. In Deuteronomy 30:20, Moses, may have said it best, "You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” I think this verse sums it up very well.
So, regardless of how you feel about the dentist that shot the lion, remember that anyone's life can change with very little notice. If we live each day with Moses' advice, perhaps even when those devastating moments occur, we will know that we are never alone because we have invested our entire lives in a God that loves us unconditionally. If we keep our hearts in the right place with our Father, our riches will overflow into the right places as well.
Let us pray,
Gracious Father,
The world we live in puts an emphasis on obtaining riches and self-indulgence. Help us to understand that in You, we truly find the riches of life and how to share them to Your glory.
Amen
