 |
Is it Wrong for a Christian to be Wealthy? |
|
|
Posted By: blessings2you
Is it wrong to be rich? This question has been bantered about for centuries among Christians. The answer is not as difficult as some make it out to be. As in many other "controversial" subjects in God's Word; instructions and guidelines are given that make the subject simple to understand yet very difficult to carry out.
There seems to be, no doubt, a change in the general concept of "riches" with the coming of Jesus Christ. Whereas the Old Testament clearly indicates that wealth was not bad, Jesus seems to divert from this message and indicates the problems those of great means have in reference to gaining access to the Kingdom. By no means does Jesus forbid anyone from being wealthy, but he does make some things perfectly clear.
Jesus devoted a fairly large portion of the "Sermon on the Mount" to this topic in Matthew 6:19-34. Among the highlights of what He had to say on the subject were:
1. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth
2. No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon.
3. Do not worry about what to eat, drink or wear.
4. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.
In the parable of the soils, Jesus spoke of seed falling among thorns which spring up and choke them. He later explained the parable as follows in Mark 4:19, 20:
"Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,
"And the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."
The word "deceitfulness" simply means delusion or deceit. Here it is spoken of anything which is deceptive and seducing. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is without question enticing to almost everyone. In our day and time, who would not want to be rich so as to never worry about needing or wanting anything in this life? Certainly the desire to make and have money motivates most people and also seduces them also.
One of the oldest questions ever asked is; "How much is enough". It seems that those who are wealthy never can get enough wealth. Look at athlete's contracts or entertainers "salaries" for perfect examples of this. Greed and covetousness are the natural outcroppings of the deceitfulness of riches. The burning desire in the hearts of most people for "bigger, better, more and more" literally chokes the Word of God out of their lives.
Nowhere did Jesus "lay it on the line" regarding this subject more directly than in Luke 12. From the crowd, a man came to Jesus and demanded that Jesus tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him. Jesus immediately scolds the man and tells him; "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" What Jesus said next is one of the most important verses in the Bible dealing with this subject. In Luke 12:15 it clearly states:
"Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."
How much more clear could Jesus make this? Contrary to what our society teaches and screams at us to believe; the more abundant life Jesus promised DOES NOT consist in the abundance of the THINGS one possesses. This statement flies in the face of everything this world believes and is motivated by. The very concept of capitalism exists through the mistaken belief that happiness in this life is found in the abundance of THINGS one possesses. Thus, everything in life is directed at making the money to get those things.
Jesus then went on in Luke 12:16-21 to speak to them a parable:
"The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'
So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'
But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?
So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
It is very important to note that Jesus is not necessarily saying it is bad to be rich, he is speaking about laying up treasure only for oneself. Greed, covetousness and the deceitfulness of riches all speak to the selfish desire to be so rich as to live the lifestyle of the "rich and famous". To have so much at hand as to not need to work and to waste one's life eating, drinking and making merry.
The desire to be wealthy is a distraction and once a person is wealthy, his wealth tends to make him very selfish. What good is all that wealth if you die tonight? What good is it to spend one's life seeking fame and fortune only to die suddenly once achieving it? What good is all the wealth in the world if the heart is full of worry and the body is wracked with disease? What good is it to be rich if all it buys is a ticket to hell?
Nowhere in all of the New Testament is this subject dealt with in any greater detail than in First Timothy 6. In an epistle addressed to and pertaining to leaders in the church; the subject of material wealth is brought up in great detail. At the conclusion of the chapter, pretty much all we need to know about the subject is summarized in three verses in 1 Timothy 6:17-19:
"Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
Storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."
The commands for those who are rich in this current age are very simple:
1. Do not be haughty (arrogant, prideful, "I'm better than you because I'm rich" attitude)
2. Do not trust in the uncertainty of riches but rather in the living God who gives us richly all things
3. Do good
4. Be rich in good works
5. Be ready to give
6. Be willing to share
I do not see how God could make this any simpler. He does not object to a person being rich, but He does lay out specific commands so as to keep the riches from distracting, dividing and destroying the believer and the fellowship. For anyone who is in the category of being rich in this present age; these six things must be plastered in plain view so as to be never forgotten.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-By 2.5 License
permalink
Posted: 05/07/08 5:07pm - Total Views: 291 - Category: Christian Life
View: Backlinks
Similar Blog Entries: Quotes by Great Christian Leaders,
Christian Magazines,
Christian Rock music,
Christian Paradox,
ChristianBlog - A Christian Myspace,
Blog Tags: jesus,
life,
rich,
riches,
subject,
wealth,
|
|
|
|
|
|
Membership Required |
|
|
Login to be able to view all the comments for this blog! If you are not already a member we invite you to become a member... it's free!
|
|
|
|
|
|
allforhim |
|
|
Posted by:
allforhim 
(Posted: 05/08/08 4:00am)
permalink
I don't think I'll ever have to worry about this problem B2U  . I am too busy scraping two pennies together, lol. I believe, that rather rich or poor we must always trust God for our provision, and remember where it comes from and be a good steward of what He does give us. Easier said than done, but I am learning. I will say for the 1000th time that George Mueller was a perfect example of a man who trusted God and was a good steward. And all joking aside, I do not believe I could handle the responsibility of being rich, it's okay for me, my riches are in heaven! Blessings! Andrea
|
|
|
|
|
^back to top^
|
savedbyegrace |
|
|
Posted by:
savedbyegrace
(Posted: 05/08/08 4:21am)
permalink
B2Y,
As I understand (not knowing from personal experience, you understand!) the problem is not in being wealthy, it is the tendency -- almost certainty for humans to idolize their wealth and the "things" it can purchase.
Deu 17:15 be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite. The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, "You are not to go back that way again." He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold."
That's the strongest argument I know of against that fella with the $29,000 marble toilet. Sheesh.
And as we read of Solomon, we see his downfall. Wealth and women. Compare the amount of time he spent building HIS palace versus the Lord's.
Great post, as always.
Gracie
|
|
|
|
|
^back to top^
|
papillionkiller |
|
|
Posted by:
papillionkiller
(Posted: 05/09/08 6:10pm)
permalink
Your blog says it all, it is in ones thinking then actions.
Do you say I earned it? Or, by God's grace I/we have plenty.
God dethroned more than one King for stating, 'he(the king) would be or is the greatest'. Not the Lord is.. or, He made me to rule for Him.
Our thinking has to be, whether the poorest or richest, God first and all is His - the rest you covered nicely.
Good discussion, where do I put God in my haves and needs?
P-Killer
|
|
|
|
|
^back to top^
|
|
|
Member Biography |
|
|
I served as an ordained minister for many years with a Biblical research and teaching ministry. Although I am no longer affiliated with the group, my love for "working the Word of God" and teaching it is as strong as ever. I belong to no specific denomination or organized group....
view more
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advertise Your Book At ChristianBlog.Com 
ChristianBlog.Com is a ministry of 4CM Network.
the nifty thing about tied ends
