This is topic very close to my heart - coming from India especially, there’s this terrible stigma that Christianity is only for the poor, that people get baptized and follow a church because of some sort of compensation they receive in the form of alms and outreach and that if you have the resources, you don’t really need to come to Christ. I’m here to break this stereotype - I was born and raised in the Middle East to an upper middle class family from a Hindu background. Everything was great, we never were in need yet I decided to get baptized at the age of 25 after the truth had set me free!
Let’s look at a more biblical example too. Matthew 19:16-22 illustrates a very interesting conversation between Jesus and a young rich ruler. In short, this ruler wanted to follow Jesus and after some back and forth Jesus instructed him to give up all his possessions, give it to the poor and to follow Him, something the ruler couldn’t stomach and walked away from - an opportunity of a lifetime!!
Now if you’ve heard sermons or teachings on this verse they’re often on the theme of sacrifice and priorities but what I want to focus on is the fact that this young, very rich ruler’s zeal and need to actually come to Jesus asking about eternal life in the first place! He was young, a ruler, had apparently kept the commandments which Jesus had spoke of yet he had this void in his soul that needed to be filled. While the world has surely changed since the time of Jesus, people at the very core haven’t. Just like the young rich ruler, we all have this God shaped void in our hearts that can only be filled by having a relationship with Jesus! The assurance that His sacrifice gives us to eternal life! After all at some point this world will fade away but the words of Jesus shall never pass! (Matthew 24:35).
I’ll leave you with this -
What profits a man if he gains the world but loses his soul? (Mark 8:36)
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)