Can Money Buy Happiness?

In today’s money, Solomon, the wisest human who ever lived, possessed what would make him one of the top five richest men in the world. 

He lived in a palace that took 13 years to build (1 Kings 7:1). He owned 40,000 stalls of horses (1 Kings 4:26).

In Ecclesiastes 5 he writes, “He who loves money shall never have enough. The foolishness of thinking that wealth brings happiness! The more you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income.”

Obviously, Solomon was in a position to know whether money would bring happiness, and he didn’t hesitate to say that it does not.

Many people, however, believe you can buy happiness. 

“If only I had a new car.” “If only I lived in that nice house.” “If only… then, I’d be happy.” 

The list is endless. 

The Lord evaluates true riches based on His spiritual value system. Those who are wealthy yet do not enjoy a close relationship with Christ are actually poor. 

Revelation 3:17 reads, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”

True prosperity extends far beyond material possessions. True prosperity is gauged by how well we know Jesus Christ and how closely we follow Him. 

It all boils down to this… 

True joy is based on our relationship with Christ. 

In Christ,

Howard Dayton 

Founder

AUTHOR BIO 

Howard is the founder of Compass—finances God’s way and author of five books and six small group studies. He graduated from Cornell University and served two and a half years as a naval officer. But after a business partner challenged him to study the Bible to discover what God teaches about handling money, Howard’s life was profoundly changed. Since beginning in ministry, he has served as a full-time volunteer and has led more than 75 small groups. Howard married Beverly in 1971, and had two children and four grandchildren before she went Home to be with the Lord. In 2019, Howard remarried. He and his wife, Lynn, reside in Central Florida and Charleston, South Carolina.