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Wealth and the Christian
by
Josprel
KJV = King James Version
TEV = Today’s English Version
“There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing. There is that
maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches” (Proverbs 13:7 KJV).
“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into
many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and
perdition” (1 Timothy 6:9) KJV).
I once heard a dedicated Christian grumble that serving the Lord had
made him poor. He said that when he was born again he instantly
dedicated his three young sons to God for the ministry.
“Lord, I don’t care if I’m poor for the rest of my life, just use my
sons in your work,” he prayed.
When the sons reached young manhood, all three studied for the ministry
and became successful pastors. On hearing the father complaint, I asked
him, “Why are you complaining about your lack of wealth? You told the
Lord you didn’t care if you were poor the rest of your life, as long as
He used your sons in His work. Now that God took you at your word,
you're grumbling about it?”
From the moment I first began preparing for the ministry until now, I
have never requested wealth from the Lord; however, I have often
requested wisdom. Only others can witness whether that request has been
answered; I hope it has. One brother actually severely rebuked me for not
asking the Lord for riches. Yet God always has been good to my family,
abundantly providing for us. The churches we have served faithfully cared
for our temporal requirements. The church boards generously raised our
salaries and allowances without my asking them to do so. At board
meetings, I would be asked to leave the board room, and when I rejoined the
meetings, the board chairman would inform me that either my salary or
expense accounts or both had just been increased. But I never asked for
these increases.
God does not define wealth by human standards. The writer of Proverbs
16:8 noted that, “Better is a little with righteousness, than great
revenues without right” (KJV). It is true, however, that there are obvious
material requirements persons possess. Most people would rather be
wealthy then merely comfortable; but for the Christian, material
prosperity must be subordinate to spiritual prosperity. The Apostle John wrote
to his friend, Gaius, “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may
prosper and be in health, just as your soul is prospering," (John’s Third
Epistle, verse two, TEV). After reading John's salutation to Gaius,
the obvious question we must ask ourselves is: "If we actually were doing
as well as our souls are prospering, just how healthy and wealthy would
we be?"
It is difficult to possess great wealth and not put our trust in it,
though some believers have miraculously accomplished it, and put their
wealth to paramount use for God. Perhaps the difficulty of subordinating
one's wealth to God is the reason that He, in his omniscience and
mercy, has not made more of us millionaires.
Mark 10:17-27 records the story of a wealthy young member of the Jewish
Sanhedrin who came anxiously running to Jesus, asking, “Good teacher,
what must I do to receive eternal life?”
Jesus answered, “You know the commandments . . .”
“Teacher, ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these
commandments,” the young man replied.
Jesus looked lovingly and intently at him and said, “You need only one
thing. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you
will have riches in heaven; then come, take up the cross and follow me.”
"And he (the young man) was sad at that saying , and went away grieved:
for he had great possessions," (Mark 10:22).
Jesus said to His disciples, “How hard it is for rich people to enter
the Kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23; TEV; KJV).
The young man’s problem was not his wealth; it was a misdirected faith
in his wealth. He trusted in it and it robbed him of a relationship
with Jesus. This author once wrote an entire article on the rich young
ruler, titled, “The Man Who Rejected His Cross.” Though we fault the
young man for rejecting his cross and the call of Christ on his life, to
a lesser degree, at times, do the same thing.
So how should a believer handle prosperity? To answer this question,
we turn to the Book of Job. James 5:11 informs us that Job was a man no
different than other men. He had passions the same as we all have. It
has always been difficult for humanity to overcome the passion for
possessions. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly evident that our young
people, because of subliminal - and not so subliminal – media messages
with a “give-me-what-I-deserve-to-own-now” slant, seek an instant
gratification of their desire for possessions. They demand to instantly own
things that past generations labored long and hard to possess.
Nonetheless, owning great possessions does not necessarily indicate that a
person is grasping, conniving, manipulative, and unconcerned for those
less fortunate. A person is not unrighteous simply for being wealthy.
Conversely, having no worldly possessions does not indicate that a person
is righteous. One is not virtuous simply by being poor.
Scriptures record that Job was so wealthy that he “was the greatest of
all the men of the East” (Job 1:3; KJV). Job was an upright man who
feared God and avoided evil (3:1). God permitted Satan to test Job, to
prove that Job did not require wealth to serve God. In Job, we ascertain
the characteristics of a once wealthy man who, after loosing all his
possessions and his children, remained marvelously spiritual.
After the loss of his wealth, Job poetically informed us that he had
made a covenant (contract) with his eyes: It was a covenant for holy
seeing. “I made a covenant with mine eyes: why than should I [lustfully]
think upon a maid?” (Job 31:1).
Do you remember that little chorus we sang in Sunday School, “Be
Careful Little Eyes What You See”? Well, Job practiced the spirit of that
chorus thousands of years before it was composed. Since the eyes serve
as the gateways to the world around us, it behooves us to be careful
what they see. As Americans, we may not agree with censorship, but a
self-censorship of what we permit our eyes to behold is perfectly
spiritual.
After the loss of his wealth, Job testified that God actually saw his
ways and counted his steps: “Doth not he see my ways, and count all my
steps?”
Such an assurance that God actually sees our ways and counts the steps
we take will comfort us in difficult times. My dad’s favorite song
was, “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” in which occurs the phrase, “And I know
He watches me.” To know that God watches us is either comforting or
disturbing, depending on our conduct. It may disturb some that God
watches them, but He does, nonetheless. Knowing that God watched him
comforted Job in his afflictions, though he could not understand the reasons
for the loss of all of his children, his subsequent poverty, and his
physical sufferings. In riches or in poverty, in sickness or in health,
he remained true to God.
After the loss of his wealth, Job took assurance in fact that he had
been a considerate employer. “If I did despise the cause [needs] of my
manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended [reasoned] with me;
What then shall I do when God riseth up? And when he visiteth, what
shall I answer him?” (Job 31:13-14).
I once attended three-day seminar titled, “Living Today in the Light of
Eternity.” Job lived in this manner. He lived each day in the light
of eternity, asking himself the question, “{If I do not treat others
well] What shall I do when God riseth up [calls me to give an account.
What shall I answer Him?”
Quite a question; one each of us should ask ourselves!
Sadly, we often hear reports of those with great wealth who arrogantly
look down on the less fortunate. One pastor told me of a family that
once faithfully attended his services.
“The entire family was faithful to the Lord,” he stated, “Each member
of the family helped in the work of the church. Some sang in the choir,
some taught classes or worked with children.”
Sounding as though his heart was breaking, he continued, “Then a very
wealthy relative passed away and the family, who was the only heir, was
left all the person’s wealth. For a while, they continued attending
services. Then they began behaving as though other members of the
congregation were not in their social standing and, therefore, beneath their
friendship. Their church attendance gradually tapered off until now, no
amount of persuasion will bring them back. They attend no church, and
have abandoned the Lord.”
Job did not feel that way about those less prosperous then himself. He
did not withhold from the poor, he cared about widows and orphans. He
shared his wealth with those who had less than he did.
After the loss of his wealth, Job took assurance in the knowledge that
he had not greedily grasped for more wealth than he already possessed
(Job 31: 24-25). He testified that he had not made gold his hope.
Someone once asked an extremely wealthy man who continued amassing huge sums
of money, but was not philanthropic, “Why are you still grabbing for
more money. You already have more than enough to last several
lifetimes.”
“I do it because I can,” the man answered, “Anyway; one never has more
than enough money.”
“But why just horde it away; why not use it to help others who are in
need?”
“I worked hard for what I have. No one ever gave me anything. Why
should I give away what I have? Let them work like I did. I’m not in the
charity business.”
Such tightfistedness degrades a person’s entire being. As portrayed in
the Christmas classic, "A Christmas Carol," greedily grasping for
wealth, without caring for those about us, spawns a miserliness of the
soul. It's a spiritual malady that warps a person’s existence. Wealth can,
therefore, be a blessing or a curse, depending on the attitude of our
hearts.
As the Apostle Paul advised us . . . "having enough to eat and drink,
let us therewith be content." After all, God’s Word promises that God
will supply all our needs from his abundant wealth through Jesus Christ
(Philippians 4:19; TEV).
Now that’s quite a promise; no one is wealthier than God!
-30-
© Josprel (Joseph Perrello)
josprel@verizon.net
About the Author:
Josprel is an ordained minister who resides with his wife,
Maria, in Western New York - just across the Niagara River from Canada.
Niagara Falls is a short drive from his home. After drifting from the
Lord, he served three years with the U.S. Air Force. Upon his
separation from active duty, he returned to the Lord, studied for the ministry,
and received a master of theology degree. Josprel serves as a clergyman
in the evangelical denomination of his youth. He is authoring two
novels: "Beloved Apostate" and "Kanfal."
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