A few years ago, this slogan emerged from the minds at Capital One and has partnered with celebrities like Alec Baldwin to create a marketing monster.
I’ll give it to the marketing minds of our day. They have a way of crafting phrases and stories that stick with us eternally, advertisements that shape our decisions and linger in our subconscious as we carry out our daily lives, causing us to deeply value things that don’t matter much at all.
Image via Creative Commons
As a junior in college, I made my first ever trip to New York City. Four days in the Big Apple with my family, and it was Christmastime, no less. As we flew into LaGuardia and deboarded the plane, I could hardly contain my excitement; I felt like young Kevin McCallister from Home Alone 2. Johnny Mathis sang “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” in my mind as we headed down the terminal. Out the window, I could see the city skyline across the Hudson.
It was a perfect moment. Until…
I reached into my pocket for my wallet and realized it was gone.
I rushed back to the gate, my eyes pacing the floor. In rushed anxiety, I told the gate attendant what had happened and she escorted me back on the plane. Despite our efforts, we couldn’t find my wallet. After a few phone calls to the airline’s lost and found, I resorted to the reality that my wallet was gone.
Have you ever lost your wallet, or known someone who has had their purse stolen?
It’s a terrible feeling that will send you into a complete panic. But curiously, why is that? What is in our wallets that is so valuable?
I’m learning that whatever is in my wallet is of very little importance. Well, except for the note my wife wrote me which is neatly folded and sandwiched between my debit card and drivers license.
Truthfully, we deeply value our wallets. There’s a great verse that explains this phenomenon and is one that I would encourage us to consider today:
Where your treasure is, your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
People look to the wrong places for their riches. When they treasure their wallets, their hearts soon follow, thus confirming the scripture above.
But what if your riches weren’t contained within your wallet; what if your riches were contained within your heart?
Cheesy? Maybe.
True? You decide.
Proverbs 13:7 says:
One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
The footnotes for this verse talk about both ends leading to folly. In each situation, the fool is placing the focus on himself and his wealth, pretending to be something or someone he’s not.
Have you experienced the joy and contentment of true ruches?
In my new book, Redefine Rich, I talk about my journey to uncovering life that is truly life and how a cancer diagnosis gave me the perspective I needed to learn these truths.
My hope is that in your life, it won’t take a cancer diagnosis to discover true life for yourself.
So, rather than what’s in your wallet, let’s think about what’s in your heart…
Question: Can you live in a way that cares more about what’s in your heart than in your wallet?
This is a guest post by Matt Ham is a storyteller and speaker, helping others gain perspective and embrace rich living. A successful small business owner, Matt ranks in the top 1% of his industry. However, his proudest titles are that of husband and father. Matt and his wife, Liz, live in Wilmington, North Carolina with their three sons.
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