Daily Devotional: The Pursuit of Riches

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​Is it a sin to be rich? If you serve God, do you have to be poor? Today, I look at the Biblical approach to pursing material riches.

Matthew 25:14-30

“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

Who doesn’t want to have riches? Who doesn’t want to live comfortably on this earth? The key to having riches is not to hoard up riches. The key is the heart.
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If we use our talents in the place where they can gain increase, we have wisely placed our talents. We can then bear fruit for God. If we have proven that we can do this without becoming obsessed with our own success, our own abilities, or the accumulation of riches, then God will give more increase. To him who has, more will be given. When Joseph proved that he could be faithful, Potiphar gave him the charge over the whole house. Even so, when we prove to God that we can be faithful with the little that He has given us, then He knows that He can trust us with more.

No one is hired and immediately given charge over the whole company. First, you must prove through your experience that you have the ability to run the company. You enter a company at a base position to learn about the trade. You move up the ladder after you have proven that you have the skills to do your current job and more. 

In the same way, God will not immediately promote you. He will give you things to see how you handle them. Bit by bit, He will give you goods and opportunities to see if you can wisely use those opportunities without allowing sin to enter your life.

If God gives me a hundred dollars and I spend it wisely by investing some, tithing ten dollars, and giving away the extra as an offering to someone in need, God will more than likely entrust me with more than one hundred dollars. If, however, I take that hundred and spend it on some dress shoes I have been eyeing, God will not likely give me another hundred anytime soon.

The same goes for our gifts. When God gave me a desire to learn piano and I practiced hard, then He gave me the opportunity to play in church as they took up the offering. When I accepted and proved that I could play a few songs, God then gave me the opportunity to begin to play during the altar call. Then He helped me understand chords and continued to help me play better. If, however, I had not accepted the simple tasks of playing during the offering but instead waited for a “better” opportunity that might lead me to playing for the big name bands, I sincerely doubt that I would have been given the ability to understand chords and to read music.

If you want to increase your gifts, make sure it is for the right reason. Increased talents or the ability to gain material goods are a byproduct of being faithful to God; they should never be the goal. We are called to serve God, and a servant’s heart is exactly what God expects to find in His people. Then, once God sees that your heart is in the right place, possessions and monies will fall into place in the amount that God deems appropriate. Do not be deceived into thinking that God wants you to be rich. The truth is that God wants to give you as many blessings as will serve His purpose without causing you to become arrogant, prideful, and ungiving.

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• Reflection: Are you seeking riches or opportunities to serve God and others? Leave a comment below to share how God has given you amazing opportunities.