Psalm 49

Psalm 49:10

For he sees that even wise men die;
The stupid and the senseless alike perish
And leave their wealth to others.

This brings back the old saw, "you can't take it with you."  A man's wealth will do him no good when he dies.  At the best, he'll be remembered for how he spent it, or designated it to be spent.  But that will help (or hurt) others, not himself.  For him, material possessions are a thing of the past.

So, why should we care about gaining wealth?  Why shouldn't we all live on the bare minimum, and give away the rest?  I see it as a management issue.  We can all do good with the money we do have, but you have to have money to get more money.  You have to invest wisely, to grow what you have, so it can do more.  You shouldn't hoard like mad; always be giving some.  But you should be working to increase what you do have, so that you can give more later.