Did you ever wonder what it would be like to be rich? I mean, so rich that you not only don’t need to worry about money, but you couldn’t even count it because you have so much? Do you think that having that much money would make you happy? Let’s take a look at this, shall we?
Jeff Bezos recently surpassed Bill Gates to become the wealthiest person in the world. Mr. Bezos is the founder of Amazon. What is Mr. Bezos doing with his money and is he happy? Mr. Bezos has stated that his number one project is his space company Blue Origin. He believes that mankind needs to populate other planets, or we stagnate and die. To that end, Mr. Bezos is liquidating about a billion dollars a year to put into Blue Origin. This seems to be a selfless, noble endeavor. What it really is, is the same thing that has driven mankind for millennia.
To understand why I say this we need to look at the real purpose of amassing wealth. Great fortune allows an individual to eat better, receive better living conditions and procreate in much more relative safety. In short, money equals power, and that power is most often used to create more offspring in one form or another. It may not be biological offspring, but the drive for immortality remains the same.
I know that this sounds cynical. That doesn’t make it any less accurate. Immortality can come in many forms. The name Alexander the Great has survived for nearly 2,500 years. Jesus, Moses, and an untold number of others are etched into the fabric of human history, immortal because they are not forgotten.
If you are the one to send mankind out into the void and have worlds colonized throughout the galaxy, how high up on the ladder of history will you be? Wouldn’t your name be immortalized?
I laugh when I hear how selflessly a Bill Gates or George Soros gives so that some charity can benefit. While I can appreciate that they are helping the less fortunate, they are also building a legacy for themselves, a name that they hope will live forever. Unfortunately for them, it is doubtful that will happen.
Have you ever heard of Mansa Musa? I would be willing to bet that more than 95% of you reading this have not. Mansa is thought to have been the wealthiest person in history. You can learn about him on Wikipedia, but a significant point about him is, he gave vast amounts of money to the poor. His name is still there in the history books, but it is an obscure reference, not the immortalization others are looking for.
Having a great deal of money would be nice but consider what it would do to your life. 1 Timothy 6:10 states, “For the love of money is the root of all evil…” People who have great wealth, tend to want even more.
Would I turn down enough money to live a comfortable retirement? No, I wouldn’t. Would I turn down a fortune vast enough to buy a small country? Yes, I would. I’ve learned a valuable lesson over the years, anything in excess is harmful…even money.
Have a great Labor Day weekend!
KM
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