Many years ago, I was the associate pastor at a large church in Houston. Every year we had a staff Christmas party to which we each took a gift and placed it under the tree. When it was your turn, you could either pick a gift from under the tree or swipe one of the gifts previously unwrapped by someone else and claim it as your own, at least until someone stole it from you.
One year, our youth director purchased a lottery ticket as his gift. As you may know, preachers’ wives are always under a microscope, with parishioners watching their every move. None of the wives would have ever dared to buy a lottery ticket for fear of being discovered and discredited.
However, at the party and shielded from the view of parishioners, the lottery ticket became the hot item with one preacher’s wife after another stealing it from her sisters. The next day the ticket proved to be worthless, but that evening it was fun to watch the lust for wealth in action.
Whether we admit it or not, we all want to become rich. The good news is that if you are in Christ, you are rich. St. Paul put it this way, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, . . .” (I Corinthians 1:4-5a).
You have been made rich by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has changed you from being a pauper in your relationship to God to being rich in faith, fully encompassed by the love of God. You enjoy His presence in your life, and you have an inheritance that is unimaginably valuable, kept in heaven for you in Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44). You have found that treasure and purchased it through giving your life to Jesus.
The Lord continued, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46). You have purchased a pearl of great price. You are in possession of the greatest wealth ever imagined.
Many Christians amass significant material fortunes because, as a part of their Christian discipleship, they learn diligence and stewardship. That is, they learn to work hard, simplify their lifestyles, conserve their resources, save, and avoid spending money on things like gambling, alcohol, and excessive entertainment.
But the Christian also knows that no matter how much he or she accumulates, that is not true wealth. True wealth consists of knowing God and walking with Him. Christians know that they have a destiny of being like God in character, words, and actions.
They learn to live in right relationships with others, forgive their enemies, resolve their conflicts, and practice long suffering with their fellow travelers on this road of life. They learn how to cope with the pressures of life. They learn to be confident in the grace of God within them and the abilities He has given them to live life productively. Christians are truly wealthy.
St. Paul said Christians are enriched “in speech and knowledge of every kind” (I Cor. 1:5). As James put it in his letter, the tongue is like a rudder guiding the ship of our lives, and our words can guide us to great wealth in areas of life that really matter.
As we walk in Christ, we learn to avoid negative, self-defeating, insulting, and profane language. We learn to use our words to encourage others and express love and caring to them. With our words, we also guide ourselves to becoming positive, upbeat, friendly, and courteous people.
We learn not to berate ourselves and to be patient with our shortcomings because our Lord is patient with us. We speak forgiveness instead of hatred and resentment. We invite others to belong to our circle of friends instead of excluding them. We praise people instead of chastising them. We worship the Almighty instead of allowing ourselves to be trapped in misery. We build up instead of tearing down. With our words, we bring true wealth to ourselves and others.
Our faith is the pearl of great price, the treasure hidden in a field, and the wealth that every person longs for in his or her life. We are rich, if we are rich in a knowledge of God and His ways.
Dr. Dan Darby is a retired United Methodist pastor.
