The Sunday Times this week have released their 2012 Rich List which looks at the combined wealth of the top 1000 richest people in Britain. I of course, was only a few pennies off in my job working for the church. (Jokes!)
Tom Morris and his family, who own the Home Bargains stores, have seen their fortune leap from £160m to £620m.
Laurence Graff, the diamond retailer, has seen his fortune go up £1,300m to £3,300m.
Owner of JCB, Sir Anthony Bamford and family have gone from earning £1,500m to £3,150m.
Sir James Dyson, the inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, saw his fortune increase by £1,200m to £2,650m.
JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, has seen her wealth grow by £30m to £560m, placing her 148th on the list.
I must admit, I often wonder what it would be like to have this amount of money. Imagine paying off all the bills at once, having the freedom to do what you wish, when you wish. Having a nice house to come back to and a nice car to travel in.
In some respects, we have to be honest and say that would be lovely. I’m not for one minute saying it’s wrong to be rich and wealthy but more about how we use what we have, whether that be little or a lot. How important is it in giving us our life fulfillment.
If my enjoyment of life was down to what I had, did or spent, I believe I’ve missed out on a great deal. I believe that life is meant to be about far more than gaining or spending.
I’ve so often stated in the past that I want to live my life as an adventure. As a Christian, I base my value and find fulfillment in the God in whom I believe and follow.
I’ve spent a little bit of time in Kenya and Romania with families who have little more than a small shack to live in.
Yet, in these people, I see so much joy and contentment with what they do have. Their faith in God is so much stronger than I could have expected.
Whilst I still have the common concern of what’s in the bank and a duty to use what I have wisely, my life is structured around who Jesus is and it is he who brings adventure, fulfillment and value to my life and he can do the same for you.