The Wealthiest Person in the World Discovered Living in Eastford, Connecticut

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14-19)

If I asked you to name of some of the richest men in America, I would bet that you could rattle off a couple of names without much trouble. Names like Trump, Gates, & Buffet are known by just about everyone. But let me ask if you can name the richest woman in America? If you said Oprah, you missed it. (Although her 1.4 billion dollar worth isn’t too shabby!) The answer to my quiz might surprise you. Her name is Hetty Green. “Who’s that,” you say? Well, in 1998, American Heritage Magazine compiled a list of the 40 richest Americans in history, based on 1998 dollars. There were 39 men and only one woman on the list. The richest American woman at that time was Hetty Green, whose fortune when she died in 1916 was estimated at $17 billion in today's dollars.

But Hetty Green was famous in her day, not as much for her great wealth as for her miserly ways. Born into a prosperous whaling family in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1834, she made her money the old-fashioned way - she inherited it. Inheriting her family’s fortune when her father died in 1864, Hetty’s stinginess became legendary. Some of the stories about her eccentricities include: On her 21st birthday she refused to light the candles on her birthday cake so as not to waste them. The next day she wiped the cake off the candles and returned them to the store for a refund. She lived on cold oatmeal, 15cent pies, and broken cookies she could buy in bulk at a discounted price. She lived in cheap tenement housing and refused to use hot water. She wore one old black dress that she changed only after it was in tatters. To save money she would only wash the bottom part of the dress when it got too filthy to wear. When her son Ned was 14, he dislocated his knee in a sledding accident. Hetty refused to take him to a hospital and instead tried to treat the injury at home. Not being able to treat it properly herself, she dressed him in old clothes and tried to pass him off as a charity case to get free care. The doctors however recognized her and refused. Eventually Ned's leg got infected with gangrene and had to be amputated. One account of her death says she died of a stroke while arguing over the cost difference between skim and whole milk. When she died at the age of 81 her accumulated fortune was estimated around 200 million dollars – making her the richest woman in the world in her day. She still holds the record in the Guiness Book of World Records as the world’s greatest miser.

At first Hetty Green may seem an historical aberration, but in reality her miserly ways are duplicated by thousands every day. So many of God’s children live far beneath their privilege. Even though they have so much offered to them from God they choose not to access it. In the passage above, the apostle Paul speaks of the some of the glorious riches of God, which are available to all who receive salvation through Jesus Christ.

Strength – There is strength available for us to be victorious in any challenge we face. You might ask, “Where does this strength come from?” From the Spirit of God who abides in every believer. Our Heavenly Father recognizes the difficult challenges we face. And he does not expect us to face them with our own power and wisdom. It has always been God’s plan that we live in the power of the Holy Spirit. No nation, no science, no technology posses the power to control the evil and sinfulness of this world. Only the Spirit of God working through us has the ability to not only resist but to conquer. He has given us his Strength.

Love – Paul prays that we would recognize the power that comes with the love of Christ. Using an agricultural term he says we are rooted in his love. You don’t have to be a farmer to understand that if a tree doesn’t have a deep root system; it will be blown over when a storm comes. In the storms of life, the love of Christ keeps us from tumbling over. He also says we are grounded in his love. This is an architectural term that pictures a deep foundation on which a building sits. Again you don’t have to be an architect to understand that if you don’t go deep, you can’t build high. Christ’s love provides stability to hold and a foundation to build upon. It is wide enough to embrace the world. It is long enough to last forever. It is high enough to take sinners to heaven. And it is deep enough to reach the lowest of sinners. He has given us his love .

Fullness – Paul prays that we might be “filled with the fullness of God.” What’s he saying? To be filled with his fullness means that our life will be dominated by His character. As Jesus thinks, so would we. As Jesus acts, so would we. As Jesus serves, so would we. Imagine what a phenomenal difference this would make in our life! And the great news is that we don’t have to dream about it. God has already gifted us with this ability. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3) He has given us his fullness.

If I asked you to name the richest person in the world – all you really have to do is speak your own name - if you’ve surrendered your heart to Jesus. If you’ve surrendered your life to His reign and rule, God has already given you the most valuable thing he had to offer – His very Son. If you have not yet come to that point of surrender; why continue to live as a spiritual pauper? Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior today and leave your miserly ways behind.

In-Joy His Richness,
PT