Daily Devotional – Sunday, September 20, 2026
And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’
Luke 12:15 (NKJV)
Sometimes we look at what we have and find ourselves wishing we had more. We notice a phone we would love to own, a house we admire, a car we like, or a lifestyle we wish we had. We tell ourselves that having these things would improve life. Then, after a while, something else catches our attention, and we find ourselves wanting that too. The desire can keep growing until wanting more feels like the main goal.
What Are You Measuring Your Life By?
While Jesus was teaching, a man interrupted Him with a request about a family inheritance. He wanted Jesus to tell his brother to give him his share. Jesus used that family dispute to address a situation any of us can get trapped in. He told them to watch themselves because wanting more can slowly become an obsession. The Lord stated that having plenty of possessions is not a measure of the worth of a human being.
To entrench His teaching, Christ narrated the parable of the rich fool, who once had a bumper harvest. In contrast, the man’s storage facilities were too small to accommodate the produce. He decided to pull down his barns and build bigger ones so he could store everything. He thought about what he owned and what he could enjoy in the years ahead. That night, though, was the man’s last day on earth. He lost his possessions and had no connection with God.
The Danger of Always Wanting More
Sometimes the pursuit of more can cost us things we cannot replace. We can work so much that we hardly see our families, spend beyond our means trying to keep up, or turn down simple joys because we are always focused on the next goal. There is nothing wrong with working diligently or improving our lives. We simply need to notice when getting more has started to take too much from the life we already have.
Think about your own life. Are you able to enjoy what you have today, or does your happiness keep getting pushed into the future, waiting for the next thing you can buy, achieve, or afford? There will always be something more to want. We can spend so much time looking ahead that we miss the good things already in our hands. What we own is only one part of our lives. There is much more to life than having things.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, whenever I find myself looking at what other people have and wishing I had it too, help me appreciate what You have blessed me with instead of always wanting something else.
