Wealth

 September 28, 2023

I have to admit I’m conflicted. I recently watched a short video clip of a Christian speaker talk about building wealth as God’s plan for his people. Part of me resonated to his words when he said there’s a difference between being broke and being poor. And yet, when he said, “There’s nowhere in the Bible where it says being poor is a good thing, that poverty is a blessing from the Lord,” I immediately thought of the Beatitudes where Jesus himself said, “Blessed are the poor,” and of how often Jesus turned conventional thinking on its head. 

This man went on with this food for thought: “Broke is a temporary financial condition. Poverty is a lens that only sees meager possibilities. When you only see meager possibilities, it’s going to severely limit God’s ability to get involved.” This makes sense to me, but I still have this nagging doubt that surfaces whenever we who have more than adequate means justify our financial status. It seems a little self-serving. And yet, many well-to-do people are very generous with their resources and do much good for the work of Christ. 

I haven’t quite figured out exactly what it is that bothers me about wealth. Maybe it’s a bit of guilt on my part; after all, I am financially far better off than most people in the world. But there is more. This morning I read 1 Peter—all five chapters. His overall theme is how we as Christians are supposed to handle not prosperity, but suffering. The word itself shows up sixteen times in these five short chapters, not including allusions to it. 

Peter’s recommended response to suffering is embodied in the word “submission.” He repeatedly tells us to submit to various levels of authorities, even those which are unjust and oppressive; not exactly the kind of advice we like to hear. Any way you cut it, Peter’s advice cuts against our infatuation with wealth and comfort.

I’m still conflicted. I like the comforts of my life and the benefits off having the resources I need, but if I have to lean, I’ll lean into Scripture and do my best to be a good steward of that which God allows me to manage for his purposes, and pray constantly for the grace and wisdom I need to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.