When one of us looks to money to solve our problems, what are we saying about God? Is He not enough? When someone calls me, or I see a message online about how if they only had a million dollars, they could live their entire lives without worrying about money, I see an issue with that statement. God tells us we do not have to worry about money. It does not matter how much we gain in the world; it is how much God knows us and how we get to live the rest of our eternity, never worrying about money again.

            Jesus gives us the Beatitudes, repeated in Luke 6:20, “Blessed are you who are poor, because the kingdom of God is yours.” We see something that, even in our own day, most people do not understand. A rich man relies on himself, while the poor rely on others. This is why, in Matthew 19, we read that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than someone who is rich.

            So what is a rich person to do to enter into the kingdom of heaven? You become poor and act like the poor. Not necessarily by giving away money but by living according to the way God teaches us, following Jesus instead of the world and money, and understanding that money is nothing in eternity.

            Maybe another person is jealous of other people’s money. I hear the question occasionally: why is Elon a billionaire while I struggle? Does God not care about my well-being? Why yes, He does, but he does not care one iota if you have that video game to play or even a car to drive. He will provide a way for shelter, clothing, and food just as he did the Israelites, but your trust in him to do so has to come first.

            This is why Jesus says blessed are the poor. They know they cannot look upon themselves to furnish their everyday needs, and the person who looks to God will find his needs met here on earth and in heaven when we arrive there.

            As Christians, what do we do with our personal finances? Maybe you are not hurting for money; perhaps you are. Either way, we must ensure that we are doing the right things. Some say tithe (Luke 6:38), others say give to the needy (Luke 12:33-34), and even more may say to give it to organizations that help people (Luke 6:30). Whatever we do with the money we are given, it shall be used to show God’s glory and not to benefit ourselves. That is why the rich man struggles to enter into heaven. The rich man is not glorifying God with his abundance. Instead, they seek more fame and fortune. But the man who is poor reaches out to God for His glory, not his own.
            Can a rich man be poor? Absolutely.  In Luke 19:9-13 We are given the parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Pharisees were wealthy but claimed to be righteous. The tax collector, while he was also well off, admitted that he was a sinner. Which of these gives glory to God, and who is hoarding it for himself?             No matter how much money you make, it is time to be poor and give glory to God. Use the blessings that God has given you to show Him and to show others how He has done great things in your life and store riches in heaven instead of on earth. Then, we can be truly rich in his glory and poor on earth.