Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Luke 12:15

Each month a non-profit business group called The Conference Board, Inc., releases its latest index of consumer confidence in the United States. The numbers measuring consumer confidence have been running low. No surprise there! Our current economic circumstances have left many feeling uncertain about their financial future.

TREASURES ON EARTH

What does surprise me is how often I, as a child of God, act as though my life consisted in the abundance of my possessions. Why is it that I feel more optimistic about life when my bank account is healthy and my retirement account shows a net gain for the quarter? Why is it that my heart grows faint whenever I hear a bleak economic forecast? I'm a child of God! Why do I find myself thinking like the rich fool?

You remember the rich fool. A man once asked Jesus to settle an inheritance dispute he was having with his brother. Jesus replied, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15).

Jesus used a parable to illustrate the truth of his warning. The farmer in this story harvested a bumper crop. He built mammoth storage barns for his grains and goods. The facilities seemed appropriate for managing a bountiful harvest. The problem was the man's attitude. The rich fool viewed his wealth as a golden ticket to future happiness. His confidence level soared. But his plans to "eat, drink, and be merry" were never realized. Death came. The grains and goods in his new barns were of no use to him. He had stored up things for himself but was not rich toward God (Luke 12:21).

OUR TREASURE IN HEAVEN

When I read this parable, I hear Jesus speaking to me. My sins against the First Commandment are laid bare. Too often my feelings of confidence are tied to income streams and account balances. I fail to "fear, love, and trust in God above all things" (First Commandment, Luther's Catechism). I turn money into my god—a god who will abandon me on the day of my death. Dear Jesus, forgive me for being so foolish!

Financial resources are not evil in themselves. For example, retirement portfolios can serve as useful tools in managing financial blessings from the Lord. However, they can also become the "bigger barns" of the 21st century . . . distracting us from the one thing we really need for life and eternity. We need to be rich toward God!