For the answer, consider the story in Matthew 19 of the rich young ruler. This wealthy man approached Jesus and revealed that he'd been faithfully obeying the commandments. Then he asked, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

Jesus answered by saying, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21).

The rich ruler walked away sad, because he had great wealth.

Tough Stuff
Why do you think Jesus asked the man to do such a difficult thing? The reason is that the man’s possessions had become his god, and he wouldn’t part with them. He was unwilling to give up what was standing between him and the Lord. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

You’re probably aware of television's game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” When it first aired, it was an instant hit! Why? Because people are mesmerized by the appeal of easy money. The mere possibility of winning a million dollars was enough to hold the interest of TV viewers across the nation.

Does God prohibit us from being rich? Is He against us buying new clothes, stereos, laptops and cars? Certainly not. Wealth isn’t evil in and of itself. Abraham, David and other great men of the Bible were blessed with riches.

Then at what point does money become dangerous? The apostle Paul clarified for us that money isn’t the problem. It’s the love of money that’s a root of all kinds of evil! (Check out 1 Timothy 6:10.) We get into trouble when our possessions begin to possess us. There are pitfalls for those who seek riches, and the few who acquire them are often disappointed. They quickly learn that wealth won’t satisfy them or bring meaning to their lives. No amount of money will do that. There has to be a better reason for living than chasing after material items and big bank accounts.

Good Stuff
Now that we’ve exposed the wrong approach toward money and possessions, let’s talk about what’s right. Some of you are familiar with the concept of tithing. This is giving 10 percent (or more) of our income to the Lord. It’s something that we as Christians are required to do, not because God needs our money, but because we need to give it. Sharing what we have keeps our priorities in order and our materialistic tendencies in check. Also, by giving God our firstfruits, we’re acknowledging that He has control of our finances.

Let’s take it a step further. Some people believe that the buck stops with their tithe — that the Lord is entitled to 10 percent, but the other 90 percent belongs to them. Not true; God owns it all! “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). Everything we have is on loan from Him, and we’re stewards of all He has entrusted to us. That means your CDs, books, blue jeans and jewelry are purchased with His money.

If you understand this concept, it becomes clear that every spending decision is a spiritual decision. If you waste food, for example, you’re not squandering your own resources — you’re squandering what belongs to God. If you buy an excessive number of DVDs in a year, you’re not blowing your own cash — you’re wasting what belongs to Him. Everything is a gift from His hand.

So what’s the bottom line? I’ll sum it up in one sentence: The secret to successful living is to spend your life on something that will last throughout eternity.