One of the most confusing subjects for many Christians to mentally and emotionally process is the concept of wealth. We all know that money is a necessary thing in our economy, but we've all seen the dangers that have come from financial excess as well as the pitfalls that have come because of financial lack.
Money and personal finance is also a tricky subject to discuss in the local church. It shouldn't be, but because of the ways we've seen people use religious faith as a guise for swindling people out of money, we're understandably cautious.
There are also some professing Christians who act like it’s a virtue to be in poverty and a vice to have healthy finances. I'll never forget a conversation that took place in our church parking lot more than a decade ago. A family that was part of our church purchased a new vehicle, and that caught the eye of an outspoken woman who had just started attending.
After a worship service one Sunday, she aggressively confronted that family and said, "Did God tell you to buy that car?" She was a little loud about it too, and the family she confronted tended to be more reserved. They honestly didn't know what to say to her, and I could tell they were a little hurt by her insinuation that they had done something sinful by upgrading their vehicle. Ironically, I also knew that the family had a habit of discretely helping other families who were struggling with financial needs.
As a student of God's word, I can confidently say that it isn't inherently wrong to be wealthy, and it isn't inherently virtuous to be poor. There can be great benefits and pitfalls that come with both financial states. There might be unhealthy lifestyle and mindset issues that are contributing to financial poverty in the lives of certain people, or the Lord may be blessing certain people with a season of financial lack in order to stretch their faith and allow them to learn that He is sufficient.
Likewise, there could be unhealthy lifestyle and mindset issues that are contributing to financial abundance in the lives of certain people, or the Lord may be blessing them with resources to steward as a gift that He is calling them to direct toward certain areas in order to bless His people and build His kingdom.
During the course of my life, I have experienced poverty, financial strain, average income, and above-average income. I know how each feels, and I can identify some of the contributing factors to each condition. As a child, I lived in a nice home and I lived in a public housing project. Our family was financially fine during one season, then we found ourselves relying on government assistance during another.
As an adult, I have lived below the poverty line and I've experienced what it's like to have much more than I need. I don't disparage either experience because the Lord taught me important lessons in both seasons, just as the Apostle Paul was taught during the course of his life and ministry.
““Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” ”
So what are we doing with the strength Christ supplies? Can we be content in Him regardless of our financial circumstances? Should we envy the rich and ignore the poor? Should we disparage the rich and esteem the poor? Or can we accept the fact that the Lord has a purpose for every condition we may find ourselves in financially?
God's great desire is that we learn to trust Him regardless of our present circumstances. And when it comes to finances, there are principles in Scripture that reveal a pathway that tends to lead to wealth. Yes, there are circumstances that can interfere with your trajectory while you're on that path, and yes there are things that may occur that are beyond our control that can impede our progress. But generally speaking, when a person trusts the Lord enough to obey what He teaches in His word, it doesn't surprise me when one of the byproducts of that obedience is wealth. Let me explain what I mean by that.
Psalm 112:3 speaks of the person who fears the Lord and delights in His commandments. It also tells us that, "Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever." That's a pretty clear statement, and it illustrates a concept that is elaborated on elsewhere in Scripture. In fact, in Proverbs 10:4, we read, "A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich."
Diligence and a willingness to work hard with integrity, demonstrate many things about a person's character. We've all experienced co-workers or employees who did the bare minimum (or less) in their tasks, but we've also experienced people who consistently went above and beyond. Over time, what happens to the slacker? His reputation results in his demotion and lack of opportunities. But what happens to those who over-deliver? Their reputation goes before them and doors open up for them.
When the psalmist tells us that wealth and riches are in the house of the righteous man, he's also speaking of that person's character. People who work with integrity and do their work as unto the Lord, experience the natural consequence of greater financial benefits, referrals from those whose trust they've earned, and doors that are supernaturally opened for them in connection to their faithfulness before the Lord with lesser responsibilities.
I recently read the story of a young man named David who worked at a movie theater when he was a teenager. When he was hired, he understood the reality that his bosses probably didn't expect much from him based on the track records of many of his peers, but he set out to demonstrate his character through the way he served in that business.
Based on the good example of his parents and the advice they had given him through the years, he set his mind to do five specific things while he was on the clock; show up early, do his work cheerfully, go the extra mile to solve unexpected problems, take on tasks no one else was willing to do, and always be courteous toward customers. After two years of doing this consistently, he was placed in charge of the theater and became the manager the rest of the employees answered to. https://medium.com/@davidastaat/impressing-the-boss-bfa2e160733
This is the mindset that's being extolled in Psalm 112 and Proverbs 10. As a matter of Christ-centered character and a matter of conscience, we are called to be faithful and diligent with the work entrusted to us, not half-hearted or lazy. There is a direct correlation between the righteous man's diligence and his wealth.
But even as we contemplate that correlation, don't forget the cautionary words we're also given in God's word. In the letter James wrote to the early church, we read;
““Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.””
James' words are a caution to the rich in this world, and specifically to those whose consciences aren't troubled by defrauding those who helped them obtain that wealth while working for them. James warns us that those who idolize wealth and defraud those who have faithfully served them are going to have to answer to the Lord for their greed. Those who indulge themselves at the expense of those who deserved fair compensation will one day loathe the earthly riches they idolized when they are called before the Lord to give an account for their lives.
Where are you on the spectrum of wealth? Has this been a season of struggle? Have you been defrauded by dishonest employers or dishonest customers? Or do you feel like this is one of your healthiest financial seasons?
Regardless of where you are on the spectrum of earthy riches, are you mindful of the eternal riches that are offered to us in Christ Jesus? When Paul was praying for the believers in Ephesus, he prayed, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints," (Eph. 1:17-18).
Most people on this earth can't see the riches the Holy Spirit enables believers to see. Most people can only see earthly riches, so that's what they use their lives to pursue. But Paul prayed that believers would know the Lord deeply, see things only He can enable us to see, live with unshakable hope, and remain confident that through Jesus, we will be blessed with greater riches than anything this world can offer. Those who trust in Jesus are blessed with an inheritance in His kingdom that far surpasses the most visible riches of this world.
If your faith in Jesus is genuine, this is a concept that the Holy Spirit will enable you to find comfort and confidence in. He will also change your perspective toward earthly wealth. You'll begin to see it for what it really is, a tool to steward, not a god to worship.
Understanding the nature of our heavenly inheritance in Christ also liberates our hearts to practice generosity. When you view what has been entrusted to you on earth from the perspective of the eternal riches you've been blessed with through Jesus, you won't hold onto this world's wealth with such a tight grip. You'll use your wealth as the Holy Spirit directs. People will be served. Ministries will be funded. Mission work will be financed, and Christ's kingdom will expand, in part, as He uses your generosity as one of His kingdom-expanding tools.
There are many passages in Scripture that offer us great financial counsel. One of my favorites is found in Hebrews 13:5 which says, "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'”
When you have Jesus, you have all you truly need. We can be content in Him. We don't need to worship money. By His grace, we can keep our lives free from the love of money. People love money because they believe it will grant them the things they really need to find in Jesus. Humanity looks to money to give them peace, help, comfort, and strength. And if we're convinced we can find those things through money, we'll love it, worship it, and never satisfy our desire for more of it. But when we understand that ultimate peace, help, comfort, and strength are only found through Jesus, we'll learn to love Him, worship Him, and find our greatest sense of satisfaction through Him.
As you walk with the Lord and diligently apply the counsel of His word toward the way you work and the manner in which you steward His blessings, it won't surprise me if you experience an abundance of earthly wealth. It's not as hard to obtain as some believe it is. But if it comes your way, don't worship it. Be content with whatever the Lord entrusts to you, and look for ways to put to good use whatever He places in your hands. Always remember to honor the Lord with your blessings because He is the source of every good thing and the only One who is worthy of our worship.
© John Stange, 2022
