“You’re not supposed to live off toys because you can’t take them to heaven,” says 8-year-old Adrienne.

Adults also try to live off toys. The difference is that adults pay for their toys. TV commercials look so stylish, but no toy from a manufacturer has ever filled the void in a customer’s soul. That emptiness in our souls is reserved for an infinite and loving God.

“You can’t take all your things to heaven. Your kids would have to get them; besides, they will fight over them,” says 9-year-old Jacob.

When it comes to dividing the estates of the deceased parents among the surviving children, it is a real-life drama.

“The rich will not take his pet dog or his basketball, but they will take his heart and soul,” says 10-year-old Hannah.

We get such comfort from things, skills, and accomplishments, but what if it was all wiped out in a moment?

“The rich fade away because they focus on money and not God and Jesus. They have to keep their eyes on God and Jesus,” says 7-year-old Landen.

The Bible is not against wealth. Abraham, the father of all believers, was rich. However, the Bible warns against putting our hope in riches because they will fade away.

“People should focus on heavenly things,” says Grant, 11. “If God has blessed you financially, you should use it to glorify Him. If you have a lot of money, you should give it to those in need or to places where you can help people.” .

Wealth brings responsibility. The Christian attitude is that we are stewards of all property under our control. Everything belongs to God. We are responsible to him for how it is used.

Jesus told the story of a man who entrusted his three servants with different amounts of money. Two of the three invested wisely and made a profit for their master, but one hid his money because he was afraid. Jesus rewarded the productive servants, but punished the fearful and useless servant (Matthew 25: 14-30).

“We must lay treasures for ourselves in heaven, not treasures on earth because they will fade away,” says Ransom, 8. The Bible says that the rich in their pursuits are like flowers in the field that fade under the scorching heat of the sun ( James 1: 10-11).

Christians with divided loyalties live unstable lives. They switch between the love of God and the love of riches. The double-minded Christian is a set of mixed messages and contradictions.

“Some people think only of money and do not accept Christ. When they die, they don’t go to heaven, ”says 11-year-old Allen.

This is the ultimate loss. In God’s economy, if you own the whole world but lose your soul, you are ruined, forever ruined.

So great is our tendency to depend on wealth to the exclusion of God that Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter his kingdom. It is practically a miracle when rich people humble themselves to trust the one who gave up the riches of heaven to die on a shameful cross to pay for our sins.

Think about this: Truly wealthy people think of themselves in relation to God, not their property.

Memorize this truth: “For as soon as the sun rises in scorching heat, the grass dries up, its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So also the rich man will wither in his searches” (James 1:11).

Questions to ask: Are you really rich? Do you know the riches of communion with God? Do you know the peace that comes from being content in all circumstances? If you are a Christian whom God has prospered, are you looking for opportunities to invest in advancing God’s kingdom?