Does God want us to be Rich?
So I picked up an issue of Time Magazine because the cover image was a Rolls Royce with a cross as the hood ordainment. The title of the article is, "Does God want you to be Rich?" Automatically my mind went to verses like Matthew 6:19, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth ..." and Matthew 16:24, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." So at first my answer to the question was, "No!" But then I began to think about verses like Rev. 3:18 & John 10:10 where Jesus talks about buying gold, and linen and having life to the fullest. But do these verses really mean He wants us to have a Rolls Royce lifestyle? I read the article and was intrigued by the verses quoted by the writer. I was also turned off by the prosperity theology that the article focused on. But it was a good insight into American Christianity and the values we as a country are living and teaching our children. Most Americans I know poke fun at men and women who dance on the television and preach a "Name it and Claim it" message. But then again I wonder how many of us actually live our lives in a similar way, maybe to a much smaller degree.
I know when things are going well for me I thank God for His blessing and praise Him. But when things are going poorly I am so easily enticed to ask God, "why?" and hesitate to praise His "good works." In a sense this is the same thing. It is self centered rather then God centered. It focuses on my own comfort or security or desire for a way of life rather then faithfully accepting the life God chooses for me and desiring that. I don't believe most Christians buy into the preaching of such men who preach "Wealth and Health." But I do fear that many Christians loose focus on the hope of the life to come and make this life out to be more then it should. It is a thin but firm line between being an instrument of Gods Kingdom on earth here and now and slipping into living this life to "my" fullest. The key is focus. Do I have God's will as my focus? Or do I have anything else? Anything else is breaking the first commandment and that is what it boils down to really.
So to answer the question, "Does God want you to be rich" I must first be asking, "What is God's WILL for you?" Know that and you will know the first.
What is God's will for us?
I'd be interested in your comments.
posted by Jason @ 12:09 pm
3 comments
3 people have something to say:
Using money for the sake of the gospel and being wise stewards of what we have is something my parents modeled so beautifully. It's all His anyway... If we find ourselves millionaires, I pray my first thought would be of how the money should be used wisely and in obedience to Him. Definitely something to think about!
Pastor John and I were just discussing this a month or so ago after some students at our youth group were struggling with the fact that most of our leaders live their life with the minimalist view of belongings. They would hear those leaders speak about not focusing on obtaining worldly possessions and then they would go home to their “Christian homes” and see the plasma TVs and boats or RVs. We were starting to see them struggle with this. So we are being aware of the fact that when it comes to something as vast as God’s Calling on your life, we have to be more open to the fact that though God is working in those leaders who are living meekly, he has also called others to go out there and make millions so that they can be a light to that other culture of people. It is no surprise that I enjoy some of the fine things in life. God has blessed me with some amazing opportunities to own certain things or go certain places, and it is my continued prayer that I use those circumstances to be a light to the people God puts around me due to that money he trusted me with.
Jason, great blog! Hope you guys are doing well there! I'll stay in touch with your blog now that i found it.
Ken
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