My friend Pete was rich. As a child, he had the newest, hottest, best bicycle around. In the mid-80s, he not only had an endless supply of Polo shirts, but was the only guy in our high school wearing Polo jeans. He had a car before anyone else. Sports cars. Spare cars. After a semester of college, he stumbled into a sales job, and suddenly had more money than he knew what to do with. Pete sold security systems, then cars, then waterbeds, and finally estate homes. He was making more money at twenty-two than most of us make decades later.
It never seemed fair. I had made good choices. I was in college with a double-major and excellent grades. I assumed I would graduate and become far more successful. But that’s not what happened—at least not if you measure success by income.
Guess what?
God does not measure success by income.
In spite of the confusion created by the “prosperity gospel,” your wealth is not God’s report card on your spiritual health. Think about that again:
Your wealth is not God’s report card on your obedience or spiritual health.
The message of the Bible is NOT walk with God and you will have riches and good health.
Preachers on television push that message constantly. But that is not the message of the Bible. Job’s friends came to Job and preached a prosperity message and God strongly rebuked them: “My wrath is kindled against thee, for you have not spoken about me what is right as my servant Job has” Job 42:7.
How many rich missionaries have you heard of? What about the growing Christian population in Africa? Are those Christians wealthy? Or the members of the thriving Christian church in South Korea. Are they wealthy?
The Bible says don’t make money your goal. “Labor not to be rich” Proverbs 22:4.
Your goal should be to serve God faithfully, whether you are rich or poor or somewhere in between. Don’t pray to be rich. Instead, pray for God to meet your needs today:
“Give me neither poverty not riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and turn my back on God, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal and thus dishonor the name of my God” Proverbs 30:8-9.
Great wealth can be a stumbling block, causing us to take our eyes off God, thinking we do not need him. But poverty can likewise be so hard some let it drive them to desperate acts like stealing. We are better off seeking God’s provision for our needs every day, praying for him to supply our daily bread.
“And now, just as you have trusted Christ to save you, trust him too for each day’s problems. Live in vital union with him” Colossians 2:6 (TLB)
God, remind us to come to you each day for our daily bread. Thank you that our money is not a report card on our spiritual health. Teach us to be content “both in plenty and in want.”
AΩ
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