We live in a world where wealth is measured in dollars, possessions, and influence. Yet, there are people who live untouched by these standards, not ignorant in the sense of being foolish, but innocent of the world’s distorted scales. To them, wealth is not counted in coins but in connection—to God, to family, to creation itself.
Proverbs 15:16 – “Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.”
Matthew 6:19–21 – “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The Achuar and Shipibo are Indigenous peoples of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador and Peru. For generations, they have lived in close relationship with the land, relying on hunting, fishing, and small-scale farming. To them, rivers, trees, and animals are not mere resources but sacred relatives. Their wealth is measured in strong kinship, generosity, and spiritual harmony with creation.
The Shipibo in particular are known for their intricate art and healing traditions, viewing health and well-being as a balance with the spirit world. Neither tribe defines wealth by money; instead, wealth is relational—found in family bonds, shared life, and being inseparable from God’s creation.
Ignorance of worldly wealth can be a form of divine freedom. When you do not know to compare, you do not feel poor. When your treasure is family, faith, and the God-breathed beauty of creation, you walk in abundance.
The Achuar and Shipibo people remind us that true prosperity is not in the accumulation of things but in the inseparable bond we share with God’s creation. They live by giving, receiving, and being part of the whole. Their wealth is seen in laughter shared around a fire, in food gathered together, and in harmony with the world God has made.
We, on the other hand, often live burdened by comparison, chasing more and never feeling enough. But what if we, too, became “ignorant” of the world’s measure of wealth? What if we measured riches by our nearness to God and our bonds with others? That kind of ignorance would not be weakness—it would be bliss.
Today, ask yourself:
Am I measuring my wealth by God’s standard or the world’s?
Where is my treasure—in possessions, or in God’s presence and my relationships?
What can I let go of today to step closer to the kind of bliss that cannot be bought?
Closing Prayer
Father, teach me to unlearn the world’s measures of wealth. Make me ignorant of the lies of comparison and envy, and wise in Your truth. Let me find my treasure in You, my wealth in the love of family and community, and my joy in being inseparable from Your creation. May I be rich in what matters to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
