“Some people are so poor, all they have is money”
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word wealth? For most people, the answer is cold, hard cash, and lots of it. But is financial abundance what truly make somebody wealthy? Let’s look at what the Word of God has to say about the value of our possessions.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:19-21.
What is this passage telling us? What is the danger of making earthly treasure our priority? We see the answer a few verses later…
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” Matthew 6:24.
The Bible is not saying that money is inherently evil. The danger we are being warned of is pursuing money above God. It is easy to believe the lie that monetary wealth can bring us happiness, joy, peace, pleasure, comfort, power… everything our hearts could possibly desire. But in reality, making money an idol above God brings nothing but pain. The lasting Joy, Peace and Comfort that our hearts so desperately desire is found in God alone.
It was sitting on a dirt floor at an orphenage in Chennai, India that I finally understood the meaning of true wealth. The children were extremely poor and yet they sincerely sang a simple song every day, the lyrics of which I’ll never forget,
“God is so Good, God is so Good, God is so Good, He’s so Good to me”
Though their hands were empty, their hearts were full, for it was the Joy of the Lord that sustained them.
I pray that we never lose sight of the only thing that brings true value to our lives… the priceless gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ.
A Girl After God's Heart 
The Kids at the orphanage in Ghana used to sing this amazing song (well they sang lots of amazing songs, but this one taught me a whole lot) It goes like this…
(it’s a call and response song)
C: I am so happy
R: Tell us why you’re happy
C: I am so happy
R: Could you tell us why
C: I am so happy
R: Tell us why you’re happy, so that we can be happy too
C: There is a reason
R: What is the reason? Could you tell us why you are happy today?
C: I said, Jesus saved my soul and He makes me whole again
R: Ah ha! That’s why, that’s why, you’re happy today
C: I said Jesus saved my soul and He makes me whole again
R: Ah ha! That’s why, that’s why, we’re happy today
It always amazed me that these kids, who after they sang this incredible song, went to sleep on concrete floors often without dinner, could be so happy and praise the Lord every single day. They were happy not because they had material possessions, and certainly not because they had any money, but because they had each other and they had Jesus.
That’s beautiful, Kailee… thanks for sharing. We have much to learn from these children.