It was the most exclusive club in the world. The list of members included the celebrated names of Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, Vanderbilt, Pulitzer, Macy and Goodyear. 

The small island off the coast of Georgia was covered with lush vegetation, secluded beaches and abundant wildlife. In 1886 Jekyll Island became the private resort of the richest families in the United States.

This was the playground where those who had it all came a few weeks out of the year to swim, hunt and relax in their "cottages." Only, these cottages had 15 to 25 rooms including formal dining rooms, lavish parlors, five to 20 bedrooms and servants' quarters.

The Club House, opened in 1887, provided accommodations for a hundred guests. The dining room featured fine cuisine and the best wines. An evening meal could contain 10 courses and last three hours. Jekyll Island offered many recreational facilities including a golf course, stables, tennis courts, boating and hunting—all for the exclusive use of its members. A gamekeeper was hired to keep the area well stocked.

For over 50 years this private island was the paradise of many peoples' dreams. The dream to have it all: money, prestige, expensive clothing, quality furniture, mansions. It's what some strive a lifetime to achieve. It's what some sell their souls to possess.

If only I could be rich

Maybe you don't want it all, just a piece of the action. It starts out simple. You notice a new car, the latest CD player, stylish clothes. Having these things would make all the difference in the world. You could be happy. It would impress your friends and make others envious.

Soon it's all you think about. You've picked the exact color, the bucket seats and all your favorite accessories. You plan strategies on how to get what you want. The strategy becomes an obsession. It takes some anxiety and sweat, but the new car, the right clothes, the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood is finally yours.

You experience pleasure—until the new styles appear, or the engine breaks down, or everybody else has the same thing. Now you want something more and the cycle begins all over again. The real problem isn't in having things; it's arriving at how much is enough.

Solomon, king of ancient Israel, had it all: houses, furniture, land, clothes, gold and women. His experiences led him to this conclusion: "He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them; so what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes? The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep. There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt" (Ecclesiastes 5:10-13).

Putting prosperity in perspective

Wealth isn't evil. It's a matter of priorities. A man asked Jesus to settle an inheritance squabble. Jesus refused. He then spoke a parable of a rich man who spent his entire life creating more and more wealth. The rich man's goal was to accumulate as much as he could and someday retire to enjoy life. Jesus then explained that the man died and his wealth became the property of someone else. He ended the parable by stating, "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:13-21).

Jesus' point isn't that owing land, running a profitable business or saving for the future is wrong. Solomon, in Proverbs 6:6-11, admonishes his son to follow the example of the ants who store food for the time when there is no food. Jesus adds, though, that it is wrong to concentrate on storing treasure while ignoring God. He says to be "rich toward God."

But what could Someone who owns the universe possibly want from us? What about sharing our dreams, our hopes, our lives with Him and accepting His dreams and hopes for us?

It never dawns on many people that the Creator has a desire for the well-being and success of His children. Enjoying the resources and wealth of His physical creation is part of His plan for humanity. He desires for us to work hard and reap the rewards of our labors. He also wants us to interact with Him as our Father while learning to share, be content and showing gratitude.

Physical things can bring temporary happiness and excitement, but real contentment comes not from what you own, or status, but from who you are. Character is the only wealth we truly possess.

Beware of covetousness

There are no multimillionaires living on Jekyll Island today. Their beautiful mansions are monuments to a bygone era. Tourists take "cottage" tours and eat lunch in the Club House dining room where once only the wealthy dined.

During World War II the island was evacuated and after the war the younger generation had more exciting places to go. Within a few years the island and all of its estates were sold to the state of Georgia.

Most visitors hardly notice the two hand-carved stone statues of Corinthian lions standing before the ruins of a once lavish house. The ruins are what's left of the grand cottage of Edwin Gould. One day, while hunting on the island, Mr. Gould's son was killed in an accident. In his grief, Mr. Gould left Jekyll Island and never returned. After years of neglect, the cottage was finally torn down.

What better illustration than two stone lions, standing guard over a ruined, ghostly estate, of Christ's warning, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15).

Next time you find yourself consumed in the race to make money or envious of people who seen to have it all, remember to take time to enjoy what God has given you. Take time to enjoy a family meal, appreciate nature, listen to fine music, read a book and remember your Creator. Take time to remember the island of the rich and the ruins where lions once stood guard. YU