Rich and Foolish?

Riches can lull us into a false sense of security.

Some of us may not feel rich, but if you’re in North America you are among the richest in the world. Earning minimum wage puts you in the top 10% of the world and earning ~$50,000/yr places you in the top 1%. Just with how the cards have fallen, I'd say I’m not super rich, as far as rich goes in North America, but I’m comfortable. I say this with humility because I know this privilege was in large part not my own doing. I was born in an affluent country to a stable family; I was given a good education and a strong starting point through the frugal living and hard work of my immigrant parents and grandparents; and I have a spouse who has been successful in a profession that pays well.

And so as I get older and accumulate savings and capital, I wonder how much is too much. How much should I save, spend, or give away?

Reading the following parable told by Jesus brought these thoughts front and centre:

The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry. “

But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God (Luke 12:16-21).

Sigh. Am I like this rich fool? Am I selfishly storing up too much?

In this parable, the rich man’s fields produced a very plentiful crop—years' worth it would appear. I find it interesting that he doesn’t use this crop to secure a bigger house or other riches. Instead, he decides to build bigger storehouses to save the crops for future use and sale. On the surface, his actions appear quite wise and a natural response to having extra. Like many, I’m also saving for my retirement. We preserve and store extra food. It seems wise to prepare for the future. It’s encouraged.

So why then does God call him a “fool”?

A close look at the rich man’s internal narrative shows a motive of greed. His purpose is to provide for himself a life of ease and pleasure. He doesn’t acknowledge that this abundance was not his doing. Yes, he planted and harvested, but ultimately the ground and the weather conditions were a gift that helped his crops grow well. There is no gratitude —only a selfish focus on his own comfort, belly, and his own merriment. The rich man also shows no consideration of using that abundance for the good of anyone or anything but himself.

This interpretation is supported by Jesus' warning prior to telling the parable: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). This of course raises a number of questions: What then does life consist of? If comfort and happiness aren’t worthy pursuits, what is? These are important questions that we all must work through as we figure out what to do with our resources: our money, our god given talents, our time.

I have really grappled with the knowing. How much is reasonable to have and save and how much is too much? On reflection, I've come to the conclusion that this is not the right question, because I don’t think God has limited resources to go around. Perhaps a better question is, 'God how do you want me to use what I have been given? How can I partake in work that is valuable to you?' I wonder if asking for guidance will sometimes give us surprising answers.

For example, this week I attended an online product party hosted by a family member. Some rather pricey products, I thought; and further, I really didn’t need or want anything specific. Yet, I had some relationship restoration I needed to do (another story) so I felt prompted to support through ordering some items. I’m not sure whether my support had any positive effects, but I felt a peace with my purchases.

More and more, I think that God is inviting us to partake in his plan to love on people. Often that might mean giving; sometimes that might mean saving; and still other times that might mean spending. Whatever it is, He wants us to obey when we get a sense of what we should do. In the absence of clear guidance, we can look for prompts from scripture, use common sense principles, seek wise and trusted council, and of course listen to our conscience.

I have made purchases that I regretted and I have not always given when and as much as I should have. Guilty. But I recognize that I am more generous than I used to be and I'm finding greater pleasure in the giving. Acknowledging that everything ultimately comes from God has lessened my arrogance and increased my generosity.

Finally and most important, there is an urgency in the parable. God points out the futility of this man's accumulation since the man would lose his life that very night. All the wealth in the world could not save him. He was counting on his wealth to bring him comfortably through the coming years, but it couldn't. His wealth provided him with a false sense of security.

Like this rich fool, we all could lose our lives at any moment, or we could lose our wealth through a stock market crash, a health crisis, or a natural disaster. Where are we putting our hope? Have we spent all our time storing up earthly treasures for this hope? Or, have we used our time and resources to become "rich toward God"? I’m not certain exactly what it means to be rich toward God, though I have an idea. I'm trusting that if we ask and listen, He will make the 'how' clear.

Lord, Jesus, help us to not be deceived by the security and happiness worldly wealth promises. Instead, let us be thankful for all we have been given and prayerfully use our resources in ways that honour you and help us and others draw nearer to you. Oh Lord, show us how to use any worldly wealth that comes our way to become rich toward you.