Nobody knows how much gold is in the world, but some estimate that about 7 billion troy ounces have been refined for human use. By estimate, we mean estimate because nobody really knows for sure how much gold has been refined and scattered around the world. They also say that approximately 100 million troy ounces of gold are refined every year. That seems like an awful lot. But, compare it to the population of the world which is estimated to be about 8.3 billion people and we find that if all of that gold were distributed evenly, every man, woman, and child would have 0.84 troy ounces of gold and receive 12 thousandths of an ounce more every per year. Of course, every man, woman, and child does not have that much gold and most do not have the means or the desire to acquire even a fraction of that. Given a choice, most people would rather have things like food, clothes, shelter, and maybe a cell phone, motorcycle, or car than an ounce of gold sitting in a box, waiting to be stolen.
The point is this, there is a limited supply of gold. There is only so much gold available in the world. It is a commodity. You can find it, buy it, sell it, give it away, lose it, or steal it – now I say “steal it” for illustration purposes only, we all know that God has said “Thou shall not steal!”. But when you do anything with gold, there is always a limited supply of gold in the world and there is never enough to go around.
But there is another commodity that we are all familiar with, one that grows every time it is used and shared. This commodity is wisdom. One person can take their wisdom and pass it on to 1, 5, 10, or even 1,000 disciples and still keep that same wisdom that they gave away. Wisdom becomes more plentiful every time it is passed on. So think about it like this. Which commodity is worth more? Gold, the one that is limited and lost when transferred? Or wisdom, the one that continues to grow exponentially with every transfer?
So, quit chasing after gold and other treasures that are limited, lost, or stolen. Instead, invest your time and talents in wisdom and watch it grow.
“Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her and she will promote you; she will bring you honor when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you.” Proverbs 4:5-9
“How much better to get wisdom than gold!” Proverbs 16:16