Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. (James 5:1-6, NASB)
Our society seems to revere the rich and famous. We read about their escapades in the latest tabloid. We stand in awe of their homes, cars, and jewels. Even “mainstream” media seems obsessed with them. I can’t count how often the early morning news program I watch focuses on some celebrity’s multi-million dollar wedding or some star’s latest brush with the law.
Some day, however, all the houses, cars, and jewels will mean nothing. The exotic vacations. The wild parties.
None of it will matter.
When Jesus Christ returns to set up the new heaven and the new earth, this world and all that’s in it will be no more. (See Revelation 21:1.)
The only thing that will matter then is whether or not a person has put her faith in Christ. Riches themselves aren't really the issue. Commitment to Christ is. God doesn’t condemn riches. But if you’ve been blessed with money, use what you’ve been blessed with to serve others. Provide for the “least of these” (Matthew 25:35-40).
Don’t live wantonly, focusing only on your money and what it can do for you. Don’t risk the “upcoming misery” of eternity separated from God … because you’ll also be separated from your riches.
You really can’t take it with you.
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