Jesus told the parable of a rich man who produced a bumper crop and became even wealthier. If I had been that man, I would have thanked and praised God for His blessings, and I would have put a portion of my increased wealth into the offering. You probably would have done the same.

But the rich man responded differently: “I don’t have room for all my crops. I will build bigger barns. I will store all my wheat. I’ll sit back and say to myself . . .” (see Luke 12:17-19).

What was the language of praise and worship in this man’s life?  Me, myself, and I. This guy worshiped at the altar of self. He had a severe “I” problem. Because of his condition, he had impaired and defective vision:

• He could see only himself. His vision stopped at his mirror (vv.17-19).

• He could not see God. He had assumed it was his own cleverness that made him rich. But it was the fertile farm that produced the fine crops (v.16). He forgot that God sent the rain and the sunshine (Leviticus 26:4, Matthew 5:45, Acts 14:17). He forgot that God had given him the ability to produce wealth (Deut. 8:17-18).

• He could not see others. Selfish, boastful, indulgent enjoyment that ignores God and the needs of others was the rich man’s sin (Luke 12:19). While we are to enjoy the material things God has given us (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, 9:7; 1 Timothy 6:17), we need to ask how we can use our wealth to bless others (Genesis 12:2-3).

Jesus warned us to “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own” (Luke 12:15). What will you do with what you’ve been given?