Money Cannot Buy Love, Happiness or Godliness
I continually hear people talk about needing more money. I often witness people who put their “treasure” in the bank and live a miserly (meager) life, seeing the bank account increase, but never enjoying the fruits of their labor. My psychologist puts it like this “If I don’t fly first class, my children will.” I agree, but money has a very limited place in the quality of your best life.
I fully understand people need enough money for basic food, clothing, shelter, etc. Those are not the people I am addressing in this sermon. I believe we are only blessed to be a blessing. If you read the parable of The Talents, (Matthew 25:14-30) stinginess and hiding money away is NOT rewarded by God. Also, people who see wealth as security or power do not realize or ever get to feel the JOY of giving to other people, thus bringing true happiness into their own lives.
Personally, I have experienced it all. I have been a millionaire 3 times in my life. I have also been so poor I ran out of money between paydays and have personally experienced a variety of financial statuses between those two extremes. I will share my personal story to make my point about love, happiness, and godliness.
The best I can figure I was born into a middle-class family, but after the divorce when I was 2, things changed. We had no money and I grew up poorer than my friends. We had many children in our family after my mother who had four children remarried a man who had three sons, and they produced a daughter between them. She was very ill as a child and with her care costing a lot, and with so many mouths to feed, kids to clothe, etc. money was extremely tight.
Food was limited, but my mother always made sure we had enough for specified/limited servings. Being extremely physically active, I remember always being hungry but never starving. Our dinner was often a large pot of something nutritious with limited meat and lots of beans. Occasionally, I would sneak upstairs and steal a piece of bread because I couldn’t sleep with my stomach grumbling.
This resulted in me starting two businesses when I was 10. Lawn mowing and babysitting. In these two endeavors I earned extra money to buy food outside the home and I met some elderly people whom I befriended and began to understand my desire to help humanity. It took decades before those lessons began to become productive for the Kingdom of God.
At 18, I joined the military and started earning a small income. I usually lived payday to payday, but I bought my first new car, a stereo, and other items I wanted. When I married, we bought a 1300 sq. foot house, bought all new furniture with cash, and felt like it was a huge accomplishment. Sometimes I would make an accounting error and we would run out of money between paydays, but mostly we had just enough to get by.
Before we had children we rented one of the bedrooms to a military friend, worked 2nd jobs, and eventually I started a German Shepherd breeding kennel when Christina arrived and I could no longer work two jobs outside the home. I made some real estate investments and we built a huge home on an acre+ overlooking the Mojave River in California. I drove Corvettes and always had an SUV for a family car. I felt I had “actualized” (the highest level of achievement) as is mentioned in Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. I was arrogant and egotistical, but still in debt and definitely not serving God’s purpose for my life. I divorced after 9 years but was able to maintain my lifestyle through promotions and investments.
Eventually, I retired, made more real estate investments, and felt secure in gaining wealth. Although I was building wealth, I was getting sicker and sicker from Gulf War Illness. It was during those difficult years of severe illness that my net worth surpassed 1 million dollars for the first time. I quickly realized that money and buying all the secular “toys” served no purpose when I couldn’t get out of bed and enjoy them. It was the beginning of a long learning curve when I finally learned that money and power achieved absolutely nothing in bringing me happiness and a fulfilled life.
As time passed, my financial situation has had much variability, depending on the economy and fluctuation of real estate markets. However, my determination to help/serve others and the ensuing happiness has increased over time. My confidence in God and enjoying life has continued despite financial and health circumstances. I have learned what I hope this sermon leads you to learn, which is MONEY does not buy happiness, joy, or security in the Kingdom of God! Let’s examine God’s words and meaning in regard to money…
Ecclesiastes 5:10-12: Wealth Cannot Buy Happiness
“Whoever loves money will never have enough money; Whoever loves wealth will not be satisfied with it. This is also useless. The more wealth people have, the more ‘friends’ they have to help spend it. So what do people really gain? They gain nothing except to look at their riches. Those who work hard sleep in peace; it is not important if they eat little or much. But rich people worry about their wealth and cannot sleep.”
God could not be clearer and I can assure you my 66 years of experience has validated everything in the above verses. When we SEEK WEALTH as our primary activity, the lust for money will never be satisfied. We will always want more. It is like an unhealthy addiction because you can never get enough! It is a search for power and security built on a bed of tissue paper.
God even warns us that the more money we have, the more “friends” we will have. These are not real friends who love us for who we are but will pretend to care as long as we give them what they want. People are more than happy to spend your money, with some even believing they deserve it, but these people are like vapors in the wind who will blow away when they find more fertile ground. They are not friends at all.
God further tells us that people who work hard, have the right focus, and are on the righteous path will rest easy despite changing circumstances. He tells us that is where we find the peace we are all seeking, but warns us that people who value money over all else will never rest. They will always be on guard to protect their power and wealth, but will not find joy, happiness, peace, and most importantly, godliness.
The above scripture speaks volumes to me as I have lived in quite a variety of circumstances, but was always seeking something new or more until I found Him. By giving to others: my time, money, ears to listen and understand, caring, love, sympathy, and empathy, I have discovered true happiness. I am at peace no matter what my circumstances are because I am no longer seeking that which will never be enough.
A smile or a look of relief on the face of another person, and knowing I have improved the lives of others is all I need to live my best life. I know this is a recipe for everyone. Not just because of my experiences, but also because The Word of God tells us it is the truth. God desires for us to live fulfilled, happy, and peaceful lives. It is His plan that we have enough and do not want for the necessities in life.
When you seek and follow His plan, you find that it is enough. Money is what the world values, but God wants us to live on a higher plane. A place of pure joy. A place where we build up heavenly treasures that are eternal rather than earthly treasures which are fleeting. I pray this sermon helps you understand what is important and gives you the desire to read His Words and allow your soul to be filled with the type of happiness God has planned for you. Prioritizing servitude over all else is the beginning of a wonderful life. Amen.
Philippians 2:3 – “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” ><>
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