Location, location, location.  The three most important criteria for any great real estate investment.  Right?  Not exactly!  Jesus had another view when he shared this parable in Luke 12:  16-21.

“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?  And he said, I will do this:  I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.”

Sounds like a wise business decision.  He needs more space to store since he is not giving it to the poor.  He has had a record year at harvest and covets every last grain for himself.  He grew it, he deserves it!  The result of his hard work and great business decisions.  

Have you ever felt that way throughout your life?  As your income increases from wise decisions in your business and the blessings of God, you feel you deserve more.  You worked 60 hours per week for 30 years.  God has blessed you and wants you to enjoy the fruit of your labor.  Your income has increased and therefore, surely God wants you to increase your lifestyle.  You deserve it.  Modern appliances, 4 car garage, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, quiet neighborhood on a golf course in a gated community or on the lake, high resale value…….. your dream house.  

Well ……………. I have been there and done that.  I found security and pleasure in wealth and felt that I surely deserved it.  So you tell yourself, “It’s an investment for the future and I will give the Lord his share someday.”   But you never do.  You spend it or save it for a rainy day because that day is sure to come.  Well …… it did come for the rich man.

“And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”  But God said to him, “Fool!  This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”  So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Materialism is a craving that can never be satisfied.  You always want more and you keep coming back for more because your life, like the rich man in the parable, is all about you.  Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:  9,

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”

So what did Jesus mean when he said you should be “rich toward God”?  Is being successful and making huge sums of money sinful?  Jesus and the writers of the New Testament never seem to say that.  Paul goes on to give instruction to the rich in 1 Timothy 6:  18-19, 

“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

But wait a minute, 30 year mortgage rates are below 3% and it’s time to buy.  After all, my friends and family are taking advantage of this cheap money.  Why shouldn’t I participate?  But this life of following Jesus is not meant to always be pleasant and comfortable.  How do we justify this luxurious American lifestyle when Jesus responds to a stranger claiming  “I will follow you wherever you go”?  Easy life, right?  Sure, just move into my $2 Million mansion on the lake and we will break bread and drink new wine and teach parables.  No, Jesus responded from the heart and to the heart with a tough calling.

“The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” 

                                                                                                                        Matthew 8:20

Jesus always sobers his audience explaining very clearly to this scribe that If you want to follow me, it ain’t gonna be easy.  This ain’t lake livin, Brother!  Count the cost.  

Are you counting the cost?
Where are you laying your head?
No judgement! Only the Holy Spirit can reveal truth through scripture.
Be “rich toward God”, not yourself.