Accept One Another: Devotions From Time of GraceSample

I Wish I Were Rich It is human nature to want what you don't have. The have-nots want to have. Mo' money is always mo' better. Materialism's twin sin is envy of the rich, and envy easily morphs into resentment. Have you ever noticed how soon political discourse every election season degenerates into manipulation of class resentments? There is nothing glamorous or desirable about poverty. The Bible has great wisdom to help people endure it, but it is certainly no one's life goal. How much better is it for us simply to admire people with wealth (assuming it wasn't stolen), realizing that somebody worked hard, saved with discipline, invested wisely, and brought imagination and a value proposition to the marketplace and was rewarded. How much better to seek your own wealth in a godly way. The Bible teaches us the dangers of materialism, but at the same time urges us to work to build our family's financial security. "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth" (Proverbs 10:4). The Bible, particularly the book of Proverbs, promises that the Lord increases the assets of people who trust and believe in him. To be sure, rich people can be oppressors of the poor, but they can just as easily be great benefactors to ministries and schools and organizations that bring social services to people in need. We need partnerships, not class envy.