Focus on Proverbs 11:4
After a wealthy man had died, someone asked, “How much did he leave behind?” The answer came back, “All of it.” There is nothing wrong with gaining wealth, but if a person makes that their personal goal in life, they have missed the highest calling. God’s desire is for people to be righteous, meaning to be in a right relationship with Him. When a person’s life goal is to gain wealth, the tendency is to not care what they have to do or who they hurt to get it. They will be dishonest in their business dealings, cheat on their taxes, and destroy people who get in their way.
God’s desire is for people to live with a different goal. He wants us to reflect His character, and to want to be like him. Along with this, God wants us to live for the eternal, not the temporal (here an now). He wants us to be more interested in eternal riches of heaven than the riches of this earth. No amount of money or wealth can buy your way out of hell. God cannot be bribed on the day of judgement.
A guy had a dream where he died and went to the gates of heaven. When he got there, St. Peter told him he could come in, but would have to leave everything else outside. He was a man of great wealth, and couldn’t fathom leaving his riches behind. He said, “I have to bring what is in that case in with me, or I don’t come.” Peter told him, “You don’t understand, this is heaven. Nothing in that case can be as good as what is past these gates.” But the guy balked, he would not go through without his case. Peter’s curiosity grew, so he asked to see what was in the case. The guy opened the box and it was full of gold, gold blocks, gold bullion, gold coins… Peter looked at him and said, “Let me see if I understand this. You are going to miss heaven and go to hell, for pavement (get it, streets of gold).
What is sad, many people truly do miss heaven and go to hell, because they are more interested in securing riches on earth than eternal riches with Jesus. Solomon was the richest man in the world. But he wants us to know that righteousness is more important than wealth. What are you living for?
