Good News MagazineEach issue offers an eye-opening in-depth perspective of the Bible  
 
View All Good News Video Commentaries
 
March 15, 2010
Easter or Passover: What Does the Bible Teach?
March 5, 2010
Earthquakes and the Bible
 
February 26, 2010
Competing for the Crown
February 19, 2010
Integrity and the Olympics
February 12, 2010
Olympic Fire
February 8, 2010
Missiles, Anti-missiles and Threats
February 5, 2010
Abortion, Murder, and the Super Bowl
February 3, 2010
Would Jesus Use a "Jesus Rifle"?
February 1, 2010
Change
 
January 28, 2010
The iPad: Obsolete?
January 27, 2010
Where's My Avatar?
January 25, 2010
The Peacemaker
January 15, 2010
Pat Robertson on Haiti: A Bible Fact Check
January 13, 2010
Gay Rights and Proposition 8
January 6, 2010
When All Else Fails...
 
December 30, 2009
... And a Successful New Year!
December 23, 2009
A Distant Family Member
December 21, 2009
The Man Who Will Be King
December 16, 2009
Silvio Berlusconi Attacked
December 14, 2009
Jesus Misquoted
December 9, 2009
Copenhagen: Just Snuff?
December 7, 2009
Christmas: Why Are We Doing This?
December 3, 2009
Et Tu, Tiger?
December 2, 2009
Out of the Rubble
 
 
Share
Subscribe to Good News Email
Find Good News on Facebook
Follow Good News on Twitter
Good News RSS Feed

 

 

GN Commentary: November 18, 2008 - More Important Than Money?

Is there anything in life more important than money?

 

Related Resources

God, Money and You
Does the Bible help us see the proper relationship between God and wealth for those who sincerely desire to serve and please Him?

Does Character Matter?
In a world in which most people take the easy way out, is it worthwhile to do things differently?

 

Video Transcript

I can't bring myself to open them! No, I just can't! Those nasty little envelopes, telling me how much money I no longer have in my retirement account. I can't bear it!

So what do you do with those statements? Many of us have lost money over the last year and a half, and we may feel we really didn't have enough of it in the first place. The International Monetary Fund has forecast total losses from the credit contraction of $945 billion, while others estimate total losses to the banking system at as much as 1.6 trillion dollars. How much is 1.6 trillion dollars? I'm no economist, but I do know that's a whole lot of money! Youch!

But is there anything in life more important than money? I'd like to take you back to the writings of a man some 2,900 years ago. This man had it all—money, fame, women, luxury. And yet he suggested there are some things in life that are much more important than money.

In case you hadn't guessed, I'm speaking of King Solomon of Israel, one of the wealthiest people in the ancient world. Solomon wrote many of the biblical Proverbs. What did he have to say about money?

"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches" (Proverbs 22:1). Your name and reputation are more important than wealth. Why? Because you lose your self-respect—and the respect of others—if your reputation is ever lost! Some people are rich, but despised; think of drug barons, corrupt politicians and Internet fraudsters. These people are wealthy, but not one loves them.

Wise King Solomon also wrote "Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure with trouble. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred" (Proverb 15:16-17). We can be better off less wealthy, and living in peace with our God and our family than rich and miserable.

My work sometimes takes me to other nations, to visit people who have a lot less than most of us in North America. Oh, but how much fun it can be to visit and spend time with those people! Their enjoyment of family, friendship and community often outstrips ours. Maybe they have something to teach us, as we all go through these difficult economic times.

And maybe it's time for us to begin to rely on the One who can give us that sense of comfort and security—even when we can't bear to open those envelopes!

For GN Magazine, I'm Ralph Levy.

 


How to Understand the Bible © 1995-2010 United Church of God, an International Association | Privacy Policy
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. All correspondence and questions should be sent to info@gnmagazine.org. Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to webmaster@gnmagazine.org.