If Money Solves Everything, Why Do Rich People Still Seem Miserable?

Money isn't everything. Money can't buy happiness. The best things in life are free. Sure, keep telling yourself that.Today we're going to pull back the curtain on what we actually believe about money and the bigger lie hanging underneath of it. Let's get into it on today's show. Hello and welcome to Financially Confident Christian.I'm Ralph Estep Jr. And I just want to thank you so much for joining me today. Today feels a little different. Let me tell you right now this listener question. Today, he came in hot.Not asking for advice, he's actually arguing a position. His basic contention is this. I'm going to read the story in a second. He basically says that money solves nearly every problem.And anybody who says otherwise is delusional. Now, I'm not going to tell you they're wrong, but I'm going to talk about something harder and I really believe.And as you listen to this question, start thinking along the same lines I am. I think they're looking at the wrong problem.So if you've ever felt like money is the answer to your life or you felt that desperation that one more dollar could fix everything, this episode is for you. And if you've got a question for this show, I would love to hear it. You can send me the question by going to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/questionWe'll put a link in the show notes, but again, that's financiallyconfidentchristian.com/question Well, let's get right into this listener question. Like I said, this is a hot one. Listener writes this. Hi, Ralph.I'm sick of people saying money isn't the answer. It solves nearly every problem. Health problem. Hey, with enough money, nearly everything except death can be solved. Ugly? Not anymore.Access to the best fashion, the best hairstylist, the best skin scare, the best everything. Fitness is a joke. With money, you can optimize every single push towards your goal so you get there faster with substantially less effort.Housing, travel, taxes, retirement, the law itself, none of it's a problem with money. Speed limits, they're just a toll. Ralph, don't like a law, contribute to enough political campaigns and it's no longer a problem.People say you'll be miserable when you have everything you want. But novelty is purchasable. You can buy happiness, supplements and peptides and you can buy experiences like escorts.Drugs is where it gets a little dark. And sunny beaches. Why does everyone keep saying money isn't everything? It covers nearly every problem. Like I said, that one came in hot.And this person really believes that money solves everything. But I don't believe that to be the case. I think money solves money problems. But you're not asking about money problems.You're asking about a deeper problem. And no amount of money can solve that. Let me get right into it. You're right about money solving a lot of problems.But look at what you're listing here. You are right. Money does solve some things. You talked about health. Sure.If you have money, you can get better doctors, you can get better treatments, you can have prevention. That is absolutely true. With money, you can do that. Hey, you talked about appearance.You can have the best people, you can use the best products, you can have the best procedures. Hey, look, in Hollywood you'll see what I'm talking about. Housing, travel, legal problems. Sure, money helps all of those things.And I'm not going to insult you by pretending money doesn't matter. It does matter. The person saying money doesn't matter usually hasn't paid rent in three months. They just don't. They don't care anymore.But look at the list you actually built. You started with health, then you went to appearance, then you went to fitness, and then you went to the law.And then you went to the thing that I think you've overlooked a little bit, happiness itself. And that's where we need to park here for a second. Your solution for happiness was supplements, peptides, escorts, drugs and beaches. What a mix.That's not a solution, it's what you buy when the real problem isn't solved. And that problem isn't financial, it's existential. Money absolutely solves money problems.But when you have to buy happiness instead of feel it, you've already lost. So let's talk about the problem that money can't solve. Money will never be able to buy you. Meaning?Yeah, you can optimize every workout, but you're filling a void. And that void's never going to close. Money can't buy you purpose.Sure, you can travel to every beach in the world, but if you're running from something, instead of running towards something, you're still running. Money can't buy you peace. And peace is the one thing that I hear you screaming so loudly that you actually need the richest person on earth.They don't have a money problem. They have a meaning problem. You don't have a financial crisis here. You've got an identity crisis dressed up as a financial one.Now why does this matter? You said it yourself. If you believe money solves everything, then the logic follows. Enough Money fixes your life. So so many of us chase it.We work that job, we hit that income target, we get the money, and then we still feel empty. And then we're confused because we think that the thing that was supposed to work, it didn't work. And that's the trap.And you can't buy your way out of a trap. That was always spiritual, it was always existential. Chasing money as a solution to emptiness is how you end up with everything, nothing.I want to say that again because you need to hear that. Chasing money and so many people are locked in this right now.If you're chasing money as a solution to that emptiness you're feeling is how you end up with all kinds of toys and stuff, but you feel nothing inside. Let's talk about what actually matters. This is the question that you didn't ask, but the real question that I think we need to answer today.I want to start by saying something truthful. Money does matter. It absolutely does. Money pays your bills, it helps you build your savings, and it helps you have security.Those are all true statements about money. But that's not the goal. It's the foundation. And if you don't have that, your foundation is going to be weak. So you got to figure that out.That's why I do this show. But once the foundation is solid, you build something on top of it.The people at peace with the money are the ones who stop thinking it was the answer. They use it, they respect it, but they don't worship it. You're allowed to want money and also know it's not the answer.You said something that caught me. You said, maybe you'll be miserable when you have everything you want, but you can buy happiness back. That's not hope.That's despair dressed up like optimism. Here's what faith knows that money doesn't. You can't buy your way out of emptiness. You can spend your whole life trying.You can buy experiences, you can buy pleasure. You can buy the best version of yourself.And you're still going to wake up empty one day because the thing you are actually looking for isn't for sale at all. You can't buy meaning. You can't buy purpose. It's being known by someone who loves you.Not because you're rich or you're beautiful or you're successful, but because you're you. And that's what money can't ever buy. But, friend, that's what God offers for free. You've been looking for the answer in the wrong place.And I Think you know it. You're asking these questions. And that's the good thing about this. I'm so happy you sent this in. At first I wasn't going to cover it on the show.Like, this is a silly one. But you ask these questions and it means some part of you already knows that money isn't the answer. And I just want to ask.I want to encourage you to listen to that part of your conscious. I believe that's your discernment speaking to you. But here's your win for today.I want you to stop for one moment and ask what you're actually looking for. Not what culture tells you, not what you think you should want, what you actually want. Run the four security. Sure, money can buy that status.Yeah, money buys that. But it's empty. It doesn't mean anything. You have anybody to share it with. Peace. Money can't buy that, but you can get it for free.And love, hey, you might buy relationships, you might buy escorts like you said, but money definitely can't buy love. And then write down three things that you think money could fix for you. And then write down what you actually feel after you got them.The gap is where the real conversation starts. I think you're going to be surprised at what you write down. Well, let's get to our Bible verse for today.It comes to us from First Timothy, chapter 6, verse 10. It says, for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.Some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Now think about this for a second. This is often misquoted and I've done shows about this. Paul isn't saying money is evil.Money, as I said, it's a tool. It will help you. It builds that foundation. What he's saying is the love of money is evil, and there's a difference there.So if you fall in love with money as the solution, if you trusted it to do what only meaning and purpose can do, that love is piercing you with griefs. You can have everything you wanted and still be empty. Knowing you can't buy your way to peace, you can optimize your way out of joy.That's Paul's warning. Not having money, loving money more than truth. And that's what we really had to be on guard against. How about we pray together?Heavenly Father, I'm praying for someone who's been looking for answers in all the wrong places. I'm praying for someone who's optimized everything except that thing that matters.Someone convinced one more purchase or one more experience or that optimization will finally work. But Lord, you know better. They're searching and they're substituting. They're looking for peace and buying pleasure.They're looking for meaning and buying status. They're looking for love, Lord, and buying experiences. And I just ask today that you would open their eyes to what they're actually searching for.Help them to see the answer isn't in their bank account. It's in surrender. It's in purpose. It's in being known.So Lord, I just ask that you would encourage all of us to have the courage to want something that money can't buy. And I ask this in Jesus name. Amen, friend. You're not wrong that money solves a lot of problems. What you're wrong about is what the actual problem is.So as I get back to it, money absolutely solves financial problems. That's real and it's important. But that emptiness you're feeling, that's not a financial problem. Neither is meaninglessness. Neither is loneliness.And when you optimize everything and you're still empty, the problem was never money in the first place. As I said earlier, the richest people in the world have the same void that you do. They just got more stuff around them.So stop looking in your bank account and start looking for meaning. Start looking for purpose and start looking for peace. Those things are free and they're the only things that actually work in the long term.And if you're seeking something, if you're looking for help with your finances, I would love to hear from you.You can reach me by going to financiallyconfidentchristian.com.com/voicemail again, that's financiallyconfidentchristian.com/voicemail thank you so much for joining me today. I want to encourage you to stay financially savvy. May God bless you and you have a great. It.