Tuesday, January 25, 2022

January 25, 2022

Proverbs 3: 9 (NIV)
Honor the Lord with your wealth.
We are called to help the poor. How can the poor help the poor?*
Some of us might be surprised to learn that it is possible for a wealthy person to honor God. A local church was recently given a 1.4 million dollar donation from a member of the congregation. That kind of money can bring a lot of honor to the Lord. So can a lot less money if given with the right heart and used wisely (that is, prayerfully).

Look at who Jesus hobnobbed with and you will see an interesting cross-section of humanity. He socialized with people of every class and financial status. Rich or poor or middle class, they all needed to hear his message. But you know it’s true: we like to think that somehow the poor are spiritually superior just because they aren’t tainted by riches. Being poor is no badge of honor in itself nor is possessing a healthy bank account anything to be ashamed of.

The truth is, rich or poor, every person is a target for Satan. He uses our circumstances to his advantage. Too much money and there is the temptation for arrogance and lack of compassion. Not enough money and we become susceptible to resentment and covetousness. According to James 1: 14, we each have our own evil desires to contend with.

This Proverb might just as well read: "Honor the Lord with your wealth or lack thereof."
While Jesus was known to have called folks to give up everything they owned . . . [i]t was not a universal call to poverty.*

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