What is life? What makes life valuable and fulfilling? What does real life actually consist of? Well, there’s one thing life isn’t about—possessions. In Luke 12:15, Jesus says, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” That statement is true for both the poor and the rich. One translation renders Jesus’ words this way: “…for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
It’s easy to think our lives would be better if we just had more. More money, more stuff, nicer stuff, and so on. Or if we are wealthy, it might be tempting to tie our value to our possessions. Jesus knows the strength of such temptation and thus warns us against covetousness. Whether we are rich, poor, or somewhere in between, we must remember that it is faithfulness to God, not our possessions, that brings value and meaning to life.