Do not wear yourself out to get rich, have the wisdom to show restraint.

Proverbs 23:4, NIV (1978)

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

I Timothy 6:6-7, KJV

When Russel Conwell was a young man, he had the rare opportunity to travel the world. He ended up with an old, crusty guide who was not particularly impressed with this young man of privilege who appeared to be idling his time away in aimless wandering while other folks toiled for their living. So, this old guide told young Mr. Conwell a story with a moral - the very type of story that the youth was rapidly growing tired of listening to from this meddling old man. That weariness came to an abrupt end when the guide shared with him a true story of adventure and disappointment.

The tale was of a man named Al Hafed, a man who owned a nice piece of land in India. Al Hafed, the old guide shared with Mr. Conwell, was wealthy and contented. He was content because he was wealthy, and he was wealthy because he was contented. This came to an end when an ancient priest visited the homestead of Al Hafed and told him about diamonds. He said that a large diamond could make a man truly rich, and a mine of diamonds could set his sons on thrones with the wealth of kings.

That night, Al Hafed went to his bed feeling poor and discontented. He was discontented because he thought he was poor, and he was poor because he was discontented!

The next day, the priest left but his tale of wealth remained. Al Hafed eventually decided that he wanted to have the wealth that a diamond mine would bring, so he sold his property and began to travel the world in search of diamonds. The old priest had even told Al Hafed where to look. He had said that if one could find a stream with white sands, running at the juncture of two valleys, that there one would find diamonds. Al Hafed searched for years trying to find such a place and spent every penny of his money in an unsuccessful effort to do so. Finally, in a fit of depression, Al Hafed took his own life. He died poor and discontented.

Meanwhile, as they say, back at the ranch, the new owner of the property that had previously been owned by Al Hafed was out watering his camel in a stream that ran through a portion of that property. The camel was nosing through some white sand that made up the bottom of that stream when his rider noticed something shiny - a pretty rock! The owner brought it back and set it on the mantle of his fireplace to dry but thought little more of it. That is, until the old priest came by for a visit. 

When the priest spied the rock, he became very excited. "A diamond", he cried, "Al Hafed has found his diamonds! Has Al Hafed come back?" The man just looked at him and told him that Al Hafed had not returned, and that this was no diamond. But the priest insisted and that is how the initial discovery of the first diamond from the world-famous Golconda mine was made. The Golconda diamond mine in India was the most renowned of its time. From it, came many of the Crowned Jewels of the royal throne of England. The most expensive diamond of its era - the Koh-i-Noor diamond came from this mine.

It was truly a mine that produced wealth enough for its owner to place his sons upon thrones, and Al Hafed had sold it for a pittance. The old guide told Russell Conwell this story in an effort to teach him a lesson - a lesson that was not lost, by the way, on young Russell. It was a lesson that we don't need to search the world over for happiness, when happiness is residing all the time in our own back yard.

In the passages above, Solomon entreats us not to wear ourselves out to become rich. A thousand years later, the Apostle Paul tells us why. It is because godliness with contentment is great gain. And the immeasurable wealth of the godly life is readily available to us all - in fact, you might say it resides in our own back yard. The key to this treasure is an understanding and application of the Word of God - the Bible! And all we have to do to access this treasure is to read the word, and then do what it says.

Have you been wearing yourself out to become rich because you think it will make you happy, only to have failed miserably for the effort? If so, maybe it is time to search for your contentment and true wealth from the only source that such blessings have ever been found. It begins by simply opening up your Bible and reading!