Bigger Barns, Empty Soul: 4 Lessons from the World’s Richest Fool”
Christ didn’t mince His words.
He spoke about a rich man who laid up more and more treasure. That man thought he had years of pleasure to enjoy.
He died that night, without Christ.
God calls him a “fool”: “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” (Luke 12:20, ESV)
That’s tough words!
I don’t want to be that fool. I want to know why he went off base and how I can avoid his foolishness.
Here is where the rich fool went wrong:
He hoarded all his wealth.
“I will tear down my barns, and build larger ones.” (v. 18)
Why not channel the wealth instead of storing it?
Surely there was someone he could bless and lift their lives in a very difficult time.
Bigger barns? Seriously?
Let your first response when you get a windfall be, “Lord, where can I sow a seed of generosity the way you have blessed me?”
2. He focused totally on pleasure.
The American dream tells us to amass treasure, stop working, and enter into eternal pampering.
There is one problem: you may not live that long.
I’ve seen yachts as long as a football field that never move because their owners have died.
Pleasure is fleeting. One tumor has taken out billionaires.
Why not focus on purpose and not pleasure?
3. He got eaten alive by anxiety.
I knew about a multimillionaire who had such severe ulcers that he could only eat crackers. His anxiety had literally torn up his stomach.
I love to eat. Jesus called it right: “Life is more than food.”
You can’t add one inch to your height or one day to your lifetime.
Anxiety and stress really shorten your days on earth. Jesus referred to the “stressless” birds who get fed just fine by the Heavenly Father!
Food and clothing don’t REALLY matter. Having life and a healthy body are far more important. Relax and take a chill pill.
4. He didn’t seek the kingdom of God.
Jesus reminded His listeners: “Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.” (Luke 12:31)
Put God first.
Attempt to use your time, money, and influence for the salvation of lost souls.
Someone said, “The only thing that will last in eternity is the Word of God and the souls of men.”
How exciting it is to know that you are rescuing people (like the fool) from an eternal hell and putting them into eternal favor in God’s presence?
If this fool could talk, he would tell you this: “I wasted my life, my time, and my fortune. I focused on getting more and more, but I ended up with zero. People are all that matter.”
Let’s wise up and build a bigger kingdom rather than a bigger barn.