The Worthlessness of Wealth

“Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” (Proverbs 11:4 NIV)

News coverage, as it always does, began to build this week as the Powerball jackpot climbed to over 500 million dollars.  National and local news reporters stood outside convenience stores interviewing people waiting in line to purchase tickets.  Facebook posts were made by supposed ticket holders encouraging readers to “like” their posts, promising to share their winnings if they won with those who responded.  And, not surprisingly, these posts were being forwarded throughout the FB universe.  

What is it about the prospects of extreme wealth that gets our hearts all a flutter?  Most people think a half a billion dollars would go a long way to solving their problems, but studies show that, more often than not, more problems are created than solved.  

Wealth has a way of doing that.  I recently learned of a man who is willing to disown his daughter in order to protect the wealth he has accumulated during his life.  The Apostle Paul says that money is the root of all kinds of evil (I Timothy 6:10).  Jesus said that wealth, and the pursuit of it, can enslave us and replace God as the one we serve (Matthew 6:24).  And this proverb warns against the ultimate worthlessness of wealth.

At the end of our days on this earth, only one thing will be of any worth: our righteousness—that which we gain through the grace of God through Jesus (II Corinthians 5:21) and that which we live out in our daily lives (I Corinthians 3:11-15).  Everything else—our houses, our stock portfolios, all of our stuff—will be of no value in eternity.  

So we would be wise to heed this proverb’s warning and put our energies into pursuing things in life that have lasting value.  Because at the end of the day, even a 500 million jackpot will be worth nothing.

© Jim Musser 2012