WEALTHY PEOPLE
Some people feel that God dislikes the wealthy, but this is an
unfair assessment of an impartial heavenly Father. I have
known some wealthy people who are not only generous to
others, but are also very humble. They do what they do to
obey the Lord, and not for recognition from others.
I know a man who felt he had a responsibility to share his
wealth with others in a special way. He would pay for the
youth of the church to go on trips for spiritual renewal
and recreation.
Throughout the scriptures we can see that God has concerns
regarding the attitudes and sins of people. Since God is
impartial, He is concerned about salvation for both the
wealthy and the financially less fortunate. Some of the
concerns He might have about the wealthy are:
Did the person take advantage of others to acquire his wealth?
Did success lead him into a world of sin?
Did he neglect his family in his drive to achieve wealth?
How does his wealth affect him on a daily basis?
Does he withhold from God
what He has been asked to return to Him?
There are probably many more questions we could list,
but these give us an idea of the risks associated with
being wealthy.
Let’s look at some scriptures
and expound on what they say about the rich.
James gives an interesting warning to the rich.
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail
because of the misery that is coming on you.
(James 1:5)
It’s not true that poor people always go to heaven and the rich
always go to hell. There are some godless poor and there are
some godly rich. In the Bible there are essentially four kinds
of economic groups:
Some are poor on the outside and also poor inside. They have
none of the world’s goods and at the same time, know nothing
about Jesus Christ or God’s love. They are the ones to be most
pitied.
Some are rich on the outside and also rich inside. They have a
lot of material goods and they also have a close walk with God.
We know people in the world today that are that way. In the
Bible there were many, such as Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, Job,
etc.
Some are poor on the outside and rich inside. They have
few possessions, but are born again and have eternal life.
Some are rich on the outside and poor on the inside. They
have a lot of wealth but have no foundation of Jesus in their
life. This is probably the group James is addressing.
What misery could James possibly talking about? More than
likely he is referring to the judgment on those who have spent
their lives achieving wealth, but failed to make a profession of
faith and build a relationship with God. They may think they
are enjoying life to its fullest now, but they will weep and wail
when they leave this world and discover they are not going to
be a resident of heaven.
That raises an interesting question:
Does wealth help or hinder someone from
making a profession of faith in Jesus Christ?
Hopefully it helps, but there is a risk that wealth can convince
a person that they achieved everything on their own, and therefore
they do not have a need for God. It is scary when we think of a lost
person having that mentality. It could mean that they will never see
the need for God and will spend eternity separated from the One
who loves them more than anyone else.
Wealth could also have a negative impact on a believer. More than
likely if someone is saved after becoming wealthy, it will have less of
a negative impact on them. Why? Because even with their wealth,
they have a new focus and a thirst for developing a fellowship with
the Lord.
If someone is saved and then becomes wealthy, the time spent in
acquiring wealth and maintaining it could steal valuable time
that should have been spent with his or her family, and with God.
The loss of time with the Lord weakens our close relationship with
Him. The less we fellowship with the Lord, the less we are able to
enjoy His blessings.
Wealth brings with it many challenges, but again, there are some
wealthy folks who the Lord is using in a special way to serve Him
and minister to others. Praise the Lord for those people! They
look for opportunities to use what He has provided for them to
bring glory and honor to Him.
How is wealth affecting you personally? Think about your feelings
When you hear the word “tithing”. We can all agree that God doesn’t
need our “tithe” to support His ministry. He is omnipotent (all powerful),
so He can get whatever resources He needs.
Then, why does He command us to tithe? This is a special opportunity
God has given us as a way to express our faith and trust in Him. More
than likely we will have to sacrifice something we want in order to give
God what He demands. We might have a desire for something, but in
order for us to buy it we need the money which belongs to God.
What we want to buy may not be a sinful item, but it makes us sinful
if we steal from God in order to get it. It means that we have decided
that our wants are more important that God’s desires so we have
decided to use what belongs to Him for ourselves – that is stealing.
So, does that mean that God doesn’t want us to have it? No, it means
that God doesn’t want us stealing from Him to fulfill our own wants
(whether they are sinful or non-sinful things). In addition to giving us
an opportunity to express our faith, trust, and love for Him. It is also
a chance for us to prove to ourselves that God is the most important
one in our life, and that we have can show patience and self-control
(an attribute that identifies those who belong to Him).
God doesn’t want us negotiating our tithe either. In other words, He
does not want us deciding a tithe is something other than 10 percent
of the salary that He has blessed us with. This is an act of ignoring
and/or changing His commands in order to please ourselves. He also
doesn’t want us to tithe only if we have enough over after we have
taken care of our needs (and wants).
“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In
tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your
whole nation—because you are robbing me.
(Malachi 3:8-9)
He wants us to give Him top priority, which means we give Him
what belongs to Him “first”. Some people feel justified in tithing
on their net income (because that’s the “real” money they bring
home). Sounds reasonable, but it is really a way of negotiating
the amount of our tithe.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,
that there may be food in my house. (Malachi 3:10a)
God doesn’t want tithing to be a burden for us, but He wants it
to be an expression of love for Him and how He has blessed us.
An amazing thing happens whenever our hearts and attitudes
are right about tithing. Those who are not stealing from God
and not negotiating the amount of their tithe, develop a desire
to tithe more than 10 percent. Why? Because they have found
it is a joy to return to God what belongs to Him.
Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and
see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven
and pour out so much blessing that there will not be
room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:10b)
Have you been guilty of stealing from God what rightly belongs
to Him? If so, how do you justify your actions to yourself and
to God? Have you been guilty of withholding His tithe in order
to get something you wanted? A house? A new car? A vacation
trip? A vacation home? College education for a child? etc.
Do you tithe but do it begrudgingly? Or, are you glad you have
an opportunity to show your love and trust in the Lord and
joyfully bring Him your tithe? Do you include tithing in your
budget?
BREAD FOR BELIEVERS 
Discussion
No comments yet.