A Devo for Your Day: The poor and the rich
Whether or not you realize it, your economic status has had an impact on your Christian faith. Poor people, rich people, and everyone in between face unique challenges that try to pull us away from God. Living in a society that values what you have over who you are is not good for our understanding between the relationship of money and God. When people see you on the street, they judge what you’re wearing, holding, and buying. Many will make a point to show their friends what new things they’ve bought and how nice they are. This can really tempt us. Hebrews says, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (NKJV).
Our stuff appeals to our sense of security. It makes us feel confident and superior. As a result, when we see others with their things, it can make us feel the inverse: deflated and small. Here, God urges us to realize that we do not need to rely on our own sense of confidence since God is loyal to us. His loyalty isn’t conditional, and we can be content with the things we have if we recognize the value of that. Now that we have touched on how money can impact us personally, let’s talk about how it affects our status as believers. James chapter 1 shows how the relationship between rich and poor Christians works: “Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.”
This is a vital concept for healthy Christians and churches to practice. We each have gifts, and the rich have the gift of money and resources. However, those aren’t meant to be kept. They are tools that allow the poor to be exalted and the rich to be humbled. Think of how this works in a perfect scenario: A rich person can afford to give their surplus income to the Church. Or maybe, they have the ability to provide a service, like an accountant who handles the Churches’ books. In doing so, they are humbling themselves and serving those who may not be blessed with those gifts. The money from the rich person allows the Church to continue to fund the soup kitchen they operate, and the service of the accountant keeps the soup kitchen from getting shut down. In doing this, they are exalting the poor. The Faith should be an even playing field where each person looks out for the needs of the others and helps where they can. This system, instituted for the Church by God helps avoid the type of jealous, coveting behavior that was mentioned in Hebrews. Remember, society’s expectations and behaviors are shackles that hold us back from the path God wants us to take. Jesus proclaims in Matthew 19:30 that “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Once again, God levels the playing field for his followers. Speaking of shackles, Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians tackles this issue of social status with slavery in mind. It urges, Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.”
What a powerful idea. Free or slave, we are bought at a price. Instead of alarming us, that should make us realize how valuable we are to God. Instead of filling our own self-doubt by buying cars and jewelry, let us lift up those less wealthy than us so that they can see how much they are valued as well. Let me ask you a question: How much less would you sin if you valued God as much as he values you?
