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  • Writer's pictureBible Brian

Worldly wealth and how to use it


Some wise words about money: You can't take it with you. Some wiser words about money: You might not even be able to keep it with you. Riches are a fickle thing. That which you have may be taken from you in an instant. Perhaps you will die rich. Your next of kin may receive more in your will than some people will earn in a lifetime. But even a rich man can become poor.


Sometimes, this can be because of poor decisions. This is especially seen in many lottery winners. They win a fortune, it doesn't last them three years before they've blown through it. Other times, this can just be bad luck. New laws, business innovations that outcompete your own business, unforeseen expenses that just tip you over the edge. Wealth is a fickle thing, and so to trust in it is foolishness.


On the flip side, there are those who hate when others have wealth. In their minds, we can't all be equally rich, so we ought to all be equally poor. "The rich should pay their fair share! Nobody needs such luxury!" This, too, is foolishness. The Bible tells us that God gives us all things to enjoy, and so if you have the ability to legitimately increase that enjoyment, there is no sin committed.


The correct attitude to riches is to both earn and use them wisely. There are dishonest ways to earn riches. Cheating, scamming, stealing, these are all evil. Jesus even goes so far as to say that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. What will you do for wealth? Consider the moral implications. But there are legitimate ways. Working for, or even starting up a legitimate business, providing goods or services, these are very much honest ways to earn wealth.


Once you've earned it, what do you do with it? First, remember the God who gave it to you. You may be arrogant. God has nothing to do with it, you say. You earned it all yourself. Oh really? How much power do you really have? If you have ever caught to much as a cold, you know how much even your own body may rebel against you. You may have done well with what the Lord provided you, but the Lord did provide it. The obstacles and opportunities alike all existed according to the will of the God who owns everything under Heaven, and so the money is God's.


Thus, Paul tells us that the rich must do what is good, being rich in works, being generous and willing to share. Riches are not just fickle, but worthless on their own. We cannot be legitimately compelled to give, by genuine force or even mental manipulation, but if you give without complaining, that pleases God (2 Corinthians 9:7). Trust in God, enjoy the wealth He gives you, share it generously, and use it for His glory.

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