Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.    James 1:12 ESV

When we think of a crown we think of royalty. Naturally, when we think of royalty we think of great wealth. In the Old Testament it speaks of the great wealth of kings like David and Solomon. When we look at the royals in other countries, their crowns are symbols of their great wealth and status.

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”

God promises crowns to us. In 2 Timothy 4:8 the crown of righteousness is promised to all who have loved His appearing. In 1 Peter 5:4 we are told when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. These crowns will be given to us in heaven, and we will be able to lay them at the feet of Jesus.

Just as the guest likes to be able to present the host or hostess with a gift, we will want to have something to lay at Jesus’ feet.

When John wrote his letter to the church of Smyrna in Revelation 2:10 he told them they would be tested, but to remain faithful to death and they would receive the crown of life.

In 1 Corinthians Paul wrote, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. We will be rewarded for our good works. We will receive rewards in heaven. These rewards are often referred to in the Bible as crowns.

If you truly want to be rich, then you first must understand wealth. Whatever we have here on earth is temporary. It can be destroyed by insects, animals, fire, flood or stolen by thieves. Our wealth in heaven is ours for all eternity. It gives us something to present to Jesus.

If you want to be rich in heaven, you must exercise self-control here on earth. We will be rewarded for our love, our service and our perseverance. We will endure trials here on earth, but these trials will be used to strengthen us. And we will be rewarded for remaining steadfast during these trials.

If you want to be rich, focus on Him. Dave Ramsey is a faith-based financial advisor. He has a saying which goes, “Live like no one else so you can live and give like no one else.” We must exercise self-control in areas of finance to be good stewards with what God has given us.

We must exercise self-control in order to take care of our bodies which are the temple. We must exercise self-control in order to be good witnesses to others.

If you truly want to be rich, surrender your life to Him. Serve Him and others. Strive for the wealth that is eternal.

Have a great day!