There is a point one can get to in life where money is no longer a challenge. If one reaches this level and care is not taken, you may discover that dependence on God on certain issues may begin to decline. Because some of the things the person used to pray about, money can now provide them. There is another category of people who have all the money they will ever need in life; and there are others that have never known what is called lack all their life. These kind of people may never understand if you tell them how impoverished people are, out their. They may see it in the television or in the papers but they may not fully come to terms with it. Some in this group can put people down to make sure they maintain position. Then, finally we have the poor folks and those trying to make ends meet. I have one problem with this last two category, especially the poor, they always think that the rich is the cause of their poverty.
You may never blame someone who was born with a silver spoon, if he fails to understand what others may be facing. You may never blame people who were born in affluence, grew in affluence and are living in affluence. But no man is inexcusable. God put something in everybody called conscience. What really borders me is how easy it is for people who had humble beginnings, people who struggled up the ladder into maybe leadership or wealth to soon forget where they came from.
As for the poor, some of them have their bitterness against the rich, " why is so, so man so rich yet he cannot give to the poor?" but do you know that many poor people are far more stingy than most rich people. Jesus commended the woman that gave her widows might. She gave hers. I believe there are many other poor people in that congregation that withheld theirs. No one is too rich or too poor that he cannot afford to give something. Withholding your little could even be the reason for lack: Proverbs 11:24 says, "there is that scattereth, and increaseth yet more; And there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but tendeth only to want."
Bible dictates that the love of money is the root of all evil. Having of money does not make for evil -the evil is in worshiping money. In the Bible, the word worship symbolizes loving something - the state where you can go to any level to acquire money no matter whose ox is gored; a point where there is no regard for God and His creature. It may surprise you again that many rich people are far more humble than most poor folks. Why? Because money has not really changed who they are: their devotion to God is still intact; their love for mankind on point. Someone said something: that everyone may claim humility when they have nothing but give him access to some wealth and power then come and see how arrogant and proud they may become.
Third World Countries and so called Developing Countries
are where they are not because of the absence of resources or
intelligence but because of what I would like to call "money miss
road". Money has a way of blinding people. A friend of mine told me
that the first day that money really entered his hands in six zeroes as
his own that he almost lost his mind. He has never in his life seen such
a big money. He said to me that he first asked himself " so all this is
for me?". I think that's the same problem that most of our leaders have
had: because, for people in government, money is mentioned in many
billions and trillions; its easy for them to loose their mind and go
scrambling for some, opening many secrete bank accounts here and their
in the process.
But as easy as it is to judge our leaders for
irresponsibility, many will do worse than them if given the opportunity.
A man that cannot handle ten thousand, how can he handle ten million.
Bible states that he that is faithful in little much will be committed
into his hand.
I came across an old friend again and we spent some time. I
noticed something and it bordered me. In the days, that's a long time
now, when we first made acquaintance, I know the kind of zeal he had for God.
When he prayed, the kind of groaning in Spirit that surrounded his
prayer life will drive you on your own knees. You can feel the passion
and depth of his relationship with the Holy Spirit. But now some levels
has changed for him financially and there is little time for word, prayers or those things
that mattered before. Not judging, just stating what affects us all. In
the Bible, people like Saul, Nebuchadnezzar and even Solomon, were
humble and God lifted them up and made them kings and committed a lot if
wealth into their hands until this position blinded their eyes. Saul
never got recovered. Solomon said all is vanity. God turned
Nebuchadnezzar into a grass eating beast until he got humble again. It's
so easy to get lost with God's provisions and forget the giver himself.
Why did Abraham become the father of many nations and why did God input
righteousness to him? Because he sought and obeyed God more than
everything, including being ready to sacrifice an only son born at a
real old age. Pleasing God mattered more than anything to Abraham; so God also committed
wealth to him. Not just wealth, an enduring one, from generation to generation.
When money is available, there is this temptation to think that
everything can be bought with it including life, peace and real love. Some
people go to any length to make money and in the end loose the
peace needed to enjoy it. What a vanity!
When all is at your beck and call, let God still be God in
your life. When everything seems to be going for you, let God still be God. Even when it's like, on the other hand, things are tight, let God still be God in your life. He can turn any situation into a testimony. Daniel is a good example. And you know what, he never lost his
relevance all through his time in Babylon.
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