He Had Great Possessions

Matthew 19:22

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

The promise of possessions always promises contentment, but it only leaves emptiness and discontentment. The young man had many possessions, but he still knew that he did not have what he needed to get to Heaven. This is why this young man said to Jesus, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? This young man lived for possessions and found that they did not satisfy, so now he was looking to live for accomplishing good things in life to get satisfaction, and still he had the wrong focus. Of course, we know this young man walked away lost because he would not trust Christ as His personal Saviour.

However, I want to refocus this incident on the believer. It is always amazing how many believers never learn from others where to find true joy and happiness. Many have allowed the same things that kept this young man from trusting Christ into their own lives in their search for happiness and joy, and they all come to the same conclusion at the end of life, and that conclusion is that they are empty and have not found the true joy for which they were seeking. Let me point out the things this young man sought for that will leave you empty as a believer.

First, wealth will not bring you happiness and joy. This young man was wealthy, and he still had not found the joy and fulfillment in life for which he was seeking. You can live your life for money, but you will find at the end of your life that money never fills life’s void from where true joy and satisfaction come from. There is no amount of money that can replace your need for Christ in your life.

Second, possessions will not bring you happiness and joy. This man had great possessions, and he still had not found the happiness and joy for which he was looking. You will find out that possessions may satisfy you for a moment, but there will always be a newer possession that will cause you to be dissatisfied with your present possession. You can seek for every possession and think that the next possession is where you will be happy, but possessions are like a drug, they give you a high for a moment but leave you empty, seeking for another high.

Third, status in society will not bring you happiness and joy. This young man lived a good life and acquired a good name with all, and yet he still found his life lacking something for which he could not fill. You can live a good life and move up in society, but the status of societal acceptance will not fill the void in your life.

Living for Christ and others is the only way to find true joy and happiness in life. There is nothing in life that can fill the void; only Christ can fill your life with true joy and satisfaction. It comes down to what you live for. Yes, this story about this young man was about salvation, but if Christ is the only answer for salvation, He is also the only answer for joy and satisfaction in life.

My friend, every minute you live trying to fill the void in your life with worldly substitutes are minutes you can never take back. Trust God’s Word and the plethora of lives that will tell you that living for Christ is the only way you will find true joy and satisfaction in your life.