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The Challenge Of Riches
November 23, 2012
While our family was living in Kenya in the 1980s, we drove a young woman from Nairobi to visit her parents who lived near Lake Victoria. On the way, we stopped in the city of Kisumu to leave our luggage at a hotel where we would stay after taking her home. When our friend saw our hotel room that we considered an average-size room with two beds, she said, “All this for only five of you?” What we considered ordinary, she saw as luxurious. Riches are relative, and some of us who live in prosperous nations have a tendency to complain about a standard of living that others would gladly embrace.
Among the followers of Christ in Ephesus, some had more money than others. To Timothy, their pastor, Paul wrote, “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” (1 Tim. 6:17). Paul urged them to “be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share” (v.18).
Our natural tendency is to grasp what we have instead of freely giving to those in need. The challenge of riches is living with thankful hearts to God and open hands to others.
One grace each child of God can show
Is giving from a willing heart;
Yet, if we wait till riches grow,
It may be that we’ll never start. —D. DeHaan
We make a living by what we get;
we make a life by what we give.
Read: 1 Timothy 6:6-10,17-19
Almighty God created beautiful,luxurious verdant green forests, islands, mountains, sand, rocks, stones, Oceans,, deserts, variety of every sort filled with varied forms of animal, water life, insects, birds, worms, bees, etc., ... it is all Amazing and there is an abundance of all things.
God said to Man/Adam cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow you shall eat of it all the days of your life ... in the sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread until thou return to the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art and to dust thou will return. The woman to greatly increase thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow. Genesis 3:16-19
Riches are relative, we all want them, few there are that are willing to do the necessary to acquire riches. Riches do not appear our of air. They come from the result of dedication, choices, contributing to others in multiple ways, ... as to what to do with income (spent, saved, invested), it is a learning. There are instances where it is the result of lands/property inherited, etc.
Paul says ...” He who does not work does not eat.” Simple rule. All takers of welfare would be well served if they were assigned a task, job, etc. for which they were daily responsible. Light tasks for the weak, those able to work normally to do the task requiring energy or strength. Everything from manning the phones to the builders of Highways, houses, etc. All earning a fair wage. The totally disabled to have some purpose if possible. I know ... most will reject the idea, yet all are to contribute a portion for the good of the many. Thus tithing in churches, government taxes, school tax, state, federal, Best model we have. This too is being misused today. There are preachers for the Pulpit, assistant preachers, youth ministers, Mission trips, huge buildings and Sanctuary's, too much monies spent and sometimes wasted, on useless ideas. It is something to think about. MOO.
