"Watch out!Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."
Jesus does not have a problem with you being rich. But you might have a problem with being greedy.
Interestingly, in Jesus' day, maybe 1% of the population had what Jesus referred to as "abundance of possessions." Still, the problem Jesus is addressing is not the actual possessing an abundance of stuff. It's the attitude and desire to store up more for yourself. It's the wanting of more than you already have - not because you need it, but because you want it for yourself. The dream of having an abundance of possessions is what Jesus calls greed. And if you are greedy for yourself, you make almost impossible to be rich towards God.
Nobody ever really thinks of themselves as greedy. And when everybody is greedy, the norm gets skewed severely. But how many people do you know who don't have an abundance of possessions? Who do you know with a house that does not have lots of "stuff" in it? Just because you can afford it (which is questionable...) or because you want it - does that justify the purchase?
"Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." The good life, the life we really want, is rooted in love, not stuff. What makes life good is not the cool collection of stuff we have stored for ourselves on our walls, our shelves, our attics, our basements, our garages. What makes life good is the kind of love we give out, the kind of love we receive, the kind of love we enjoy with others. "Stuff" is no substitute for love of God or our neighbor.
When given the opportunity to attain more stuff for yourself or be rich towards God, to which are you inclined? When you have more than you need, and you know someone who has less than you need, are you willing to gladly step in and bless? Or hoard?
When your spending is directed by the Spirit, you'll find ways to give more of your money and stuff away - give it away to God by giving it to your neighbor in need. Money and stuff is no substitute for love - but it can be one of the ways you demonstrate your love.
What's your motive for why you want what you want? What's your motive for why you collect/accumulate/store what you do? How much of your life is about you and what you can get for yourself? And how much of your life is about being rich towards God? How much of your life is about preparing a great life now - a life that overflows with goodness into the lives of others?
For those that store things up for themselves but are not rich towards God, they will die and leave their stuff for another to do with it what they want. But for those that store things up for others, who are rich towards God, they will die and pass on their stuff of love and blessings on to the next generation. Their love and life will endure into the life to come. Of all the things you can't take with you, you can take love with you when you die. Be rich in love towards God and your neighbor. That's what the good life consists of.
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