The Richest Person on Earth
In 1985 a man discovered a shipwreck off the coast of Key West, Florida that had $400 million worth of gold coins and other treasures. In today’s dollars, that is $1.1 billion.
In 2003 a girl inherited $2 billion on her 18th birthday.
These individuals may seem to have won the ultimate prize, but both have had to face some real challenges that none of us would want. They lost their closest loved ones in untimely deaths, and had to engage in legal wrangling over their fortunes.
Financial wealth can be a blessing but it can also create problems that more average folks don’t have to deal with. It has a way of complicating life so that wealthy folks can envy the simplicity of those who have less.
“The blessing of the LORD makes one rich,” wrote the wise man. “And He adds no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10.22).
God’s plan is to bless so that our needs are met, but not in a way that adds to our burdens.
You may not feel rich right now, but if you stop to think of all the blessings you have, you may be surprised at what you discover. Our happiness is not dependent on extreme wealth, but it consists in being thankful for what we have. You may have something better than a stash of gold or a grand inheritance.
An unhappy king asked one of his servants to find the shoes of a happy man so that he could wear them to be happy. The servant looked all over the kingdom and finally found his man. He returned to the king with this report: “I found a happy man, but he didn’t have any shoes.” Suddenly the king knew that happiness was not about possessions but about a state of mind.
Whether you are rich or poor, you can enjoy the greatest riches of all if you are thankful for your blessings.