Recently I read an interesting article (from which I stole the title of
this blog) in which once-upon-a- time diamantaire (Diamond Merchant) who owned
the whole world is now so poor he can’t even afford a movie ticket of $3. I
have seen this diamond merchant’s designs advertised in exclusive magazines and
wondered would I even get the chance to touch them, leave alone buy them. He
catered only to the rich and the famous. Later, we realized his business
flourished on loans got in fraudulent ways. He remained a fugitive for a some
time until he was caught. He is now serving his time in a crowded prison in
London.
Money is the magic word in the world today. Children in droves prepare
for entrance exams into prestigious engineering and medical degrees losing
their youth in the process. Some get disillusioned halfway through the journey
that they call it quits and take their life. Every other news article shows
which youth bagged the highest paying job and all are in millions or crores as
we call it in India. Those who can’t make money after a good education end up
taking the short cut and become wealthy through fraudulent means. The Bible
gives us some wisdom in this matter. It says, “He who makes a fortune
unjustly is like a partridge that hatches eggs it didn’t lay. In the middle of
his life his riches will abandon him, so in the end he will be a fool.”. The
means your wickedness will allow you to make money for sometime and will
abandon you exactly at the very phase in life you worked for all along.
Somehow we have replaced God with money. Money blinds us to the fact
that we need God in our life. We try to fill the vacuum in our heart where we
need to have the Living God take His rightful place. We replace Him with the
idols we desire that money can buy. Timothy Keller, an author and theologian
says, “Money itself isn’t usually an idol. What you put your money towards
does show where your idols are usually.”. We have lost the character of
godliness and contentment. This world hails those who take the wrong way and
the boundaries of evil are being pushed further and further. It has come to a
point of nothing is wrong anymore and everything is relative.
What stops us from trusting in Jesus who is a living God, who came to
save us from these very sins and wanted to assure us that He is enough. The
Bible says, “Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with
what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon
you.”. What could give us more surety than the very God who provides that very
money. We live in times where the love and fear of God are foolish talk but
sadly God is where our very existence depends upon. Billy Graham a great
evangelist said, “There is nothing wrong with (people)possessing riches. The
wrong comes from riches possessing (people).”.
Today examine your life on your pursuit of wealth, “for wealth is not
forever; not even a crown lasts for all time.”. “But godliness with contentment
is great gain.”(The Bible). Wisely choose your life path and the legacy you
want to leave for your generation. Do you want to leave them character and fear
of God or huge possessions that corrupts your heart and soul? Your choice is
going to ensure whether you spend eternity with God or end up in the flames of
hell, after you die. There is Jesus Christ who is more valuable than a diamond
who can give you the peace and joy that your riches can never give. All you
need to do is whisper a prayer inviting Him into your heart. He doesn’t demand
costly rituals or your wealth to transform your life. He just wants your heart.
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