Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:9-12)
Before I became a pastor, I worked as an oil and gas lease broker (aka,”landman”) in Texas. When oil companies want to drill on someone’s land, they hire landmen to research the title to the mineral rights on the property in the local county courthouse. Landmen then contact the owner or owners – usually farmers – and negotiate a mineral lease with them. The negotiation process involves deciding on the length of the lease, the up front money to be paid, and the royalty – the percentage the landowner receives of any production if oil is discovered. For example, a farmer who owns 1,000 acres and signs, say, a five year lease for $100 an acre and a 1/4 royalty, receives $100,000 immediately and then 1/4 of any oil produced in the future.
The interesting thing about the whole process was that, even if the oil company never bothers to drill on the property, the owner of the mineral rights still receives a huge check immediately upon signing the lease – for doing literally nothing. That fact made my job feel like I was a glorified Santa Claus, driving around Texas counties distributing checks to farmers for thousands of dollars.
Of all the farmers I contacted, one stands out in particular. He and his wife were an elderly black couple. They owned one hundred acres in central Texas. I could tell when I arrived that the farm hadn’t been cultivated in years. Their home was really a shack. As I walked in, rays of sunlight shined through slits in the roof onto the floor. Like I always did when I first arrived at a prospects home, I spent some time chatting with them. They were obviously very poor and illiterate. They couldn’t read the lease I was showing them. They were eager to sign, though, because they needed the money.
I realized two things at that moment. First, I could take great advantage of them if I wanted, maybe offer them $50 and acre and 1/8 royalty, or even less. They wouldn’t know the difference. Of course, I didn’t do it. I was, and am, a Christian. Christians – at least consistent Christians – don’t take advantage of poor people as a matter of principle.
The second thing I realized was that this couple, too, were Christians. And they were absolutely radiant. It wasn’t because I was there to give them money. I could tell it was much deeper than that. In fact, I don’t know if I have ever met, before or after, two people who were more content and happy than they were. They exuded Jesus with every ounce of their being.
I walked away from that shack that day having learned an important lesson about what makes people truly happy.
And it has nothing to do with money and everything to do with Jesus.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
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