Bill Gates has said he knows he can’t take anything with him when he dies

Bill Gates is the fifth richest man on the planet. With a net worth of $175 billion, Gates made his fortune by founding Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, and has recently gained media attention for his radical decision to redistribute his wealth.

‘I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years. The majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa,’ Gates said in an address at the African Union (AU) headquarters.

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The First Lady of Mozambique was one of the first to publicly respond to Gates, saying that his pledge came at a ‘moment of crisis.’ 

As I look at the state of the world today, Gates’ radical move is a heartening example to the Church of how God can use anyone for his good purposes.

Gates wants to give most of his money to make health and education services improve in Africa

Gates wants to give most of his money to improve health and education services in Africa (in rather stark contrast to Trump’s recent policy ‘America First,’ which has resulted in pulling aid to Africa.) The Gates Foundation will prioritize:

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1. Ending preventable deaths of mothers and babies.

2. Ensuring the next generation grows up without having to suffer from deadly infectious diseases.

3. Lifting millions of people out of poverty.

The 69-year-old tech mogul is also advocating the use of AI to develop next-level healthcare systems.Whilst I am not sure of Bill Gate’s personal position on faith, he is married to a Catholic and raised his children in the Catholic Church, and he claims that Christian morals have influenced his philanthropy over the years.

Gates’ radical redistribution of wealth is incredible.

Gates’ radical redistribution of wealth is incredible. He has realised that by storing up his money, he ‘can’t take it with him,’ but by letting go of it, he can help others and leave a legacy behind him: ‘People will say a lot of things about me when I die, but I am determined that ‘he died rich’ will not be one of them,’ Gates wrote in a blog post.

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1 Timothy 6:17-18 gives us straight-up directions for the wealthy: ‘Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.’

Gates is certainly doing good with his money, being generous and willing to share - and this is rare amongst the rich and famous we see in the media today. The Bible also points out that wealth can hold people back from knowing God: ‘It’s easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than to enter the Kingdom of heaven.’ (Matthew 19:23-26).

I also love Gates’ commitment to keep doing good even though is nearing retirement age: ‘I have officially reached an age when many people are retired. While I respect anyone’s decision to spend their days playing pickleball, that life isn’t quite for me—at least not full-time. I’m lucky to wake up every day energized to go to work.’

As a Christian, I share this perspective because age isn’t a prerequisite for serving God and working for the Kingdom. I want to make every day count. Let’s give thanks for Gates Kingdom perspective, and the impact that his financial legacy can have for the people of Africa. Let’s pray that as Gates gives, he also has a personal encounter with Jesus so he can also enjoy the true riches of eternity with God one day.

And finally, even if we’re not billionaires, let’s allow Gates’ extraordinary generosity to inspire us to give more to do good in the world.