These are the richest people on earth

When one of my sons was a toddler, he put every toy he owned in his backpack. Then, he had one of his brothers help him put his backpack on because it was too heavy to lift by himself. After a struggle, it was done. My son promptly fell on his back, like an upended turtle, dragged down by the weight of all he was trying to hold onto. Did he own the stuff? Or did the stuff own him?
Then, there’s the story of the little boy who kept getting into trouble because he would take a toy from one of his brothers or sisters. Each time, he was told by his parents, “Give that toy back. Your brother (or your sister) had it first.” So, one morning the father walked past the little boy’s bedroom and heard his son crowing with delight as he lay, spread-eagle over every toy in the house that he had piled up in the middle of the floor. He was saying triumphantly, “I have ‘em first today!”
Paul makes a statement in 1 Timothy 6 that I wonder if we should write in permanent ink on our checkbook covers, stencil on the walls of our houses and even scratch with a penknife into the dashboards of our cars. He said, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” What? You mean having the most toys is not the way to victory or even to great gain? I thought I could only be content if I had every need met along with most of my wants. It reminds me of the king who was not happy with his life and suffered greatly, to the point that he could not sleep or eat. His wise men told the king that if he could wear the shirt of a contented man, he would be cured of his suffering. So, the search began for such a man, but not one could be found in the whole kingdom. Emissaries were then sent beyond the kingdom, and finally, outside the realm, a contented man was found. But he had no shirt.
Where do we find contentment? Apparently, it cannot be found in money, no matter how much we are able to amass. John D. Rockefeller said, “I have made many millions, but it has brought me no happiness.”
Being content starts with right thinking about stuff and about God. What did you have when you were born? Nothing. What will you carry with you when you die? Nothing. After John D. Rockefeller died, his aide was asked how much he left behind. The aid answered, “He left it all behind.” Job said it like this: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there.” Job knew that everything he “owned,” including his health, was temporal and the One who owned him was eternal. God alone is our source for contentment.
Think about this. Everything in your house will end up in the landfill. Your house will fall down and be hauled off, piece by piece. Our money can buy a house, but not a home. It can buy a vacation, but it cannot buy rest. It can buy a health care plan but it cannot buy health. It can buy a wedding ceremony, but it cannot buy a blessed marriage. It can buy a college degree but it cannot buy understanding. Contentment cannot be bought, but it must be sought.
The truth is that if we have contentment, we have everything. Then we will be among the richest people on earth.