Cast but a glance at riches and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. (Proverbs 23:5)
I am a (recovering) accountant, so I have more than a passing interest in things financial. I still read the Business section of the paper, we dabble in the stock-market and I sometimes wonder what might have been if I had stayed working in commerce rather than embarking on full-time ministry. I remember being in bible college, driving my crappy car past my previous place of employment and thinking, 'Why did i give that (income) up?' Not very noble I know, but that is the truth of it.
The Gold Coast is boom and bust central. Even the name of our city in some ways denotes the glitzy sheen that we attempt to coat ourselves in. It is a city of multi-million dollar apartments, waterfront mansions, 'new' money, luxury cars and lots and lots of debt. Developers come and go, property cycles churn wildly and new businesses start daily, while others fold just as quick. If ever there was a city that testified to the fleeting nature of riches, ours is it.
But here is the thing; as much as money comes and goes just as easily, still people invest a lifetime in its pursuit. Some of them are successful, with the symbol of that success a mansion on the water with more bedrooms than they could ever need and little or no family and friends to share it with. Truly, really riches lies not in our bank balances, property holdings or stock-market portfolio, but in the wealth of the relationships with others, and especially God, that we enjoy.