Rich or Poor



James 1:9-11
9Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,
10and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.
11For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

My Dad always used to joke that “money can’t buy you happiness . . . but I’d be willing to give it a whirl.” And then we would all laugh because we knew that none of us would ever have massive wealth. Did you know that the Bible has more to say about wealth than it does about salvation? I think that’s because salvation is a much simpler concept. Dealing with wealth – that’s a tough one!

James takes a couple of sentences here in the midst of his discussion of trials, faith, and doubt to level the playing field. Throughout history the wealthy have received all the attention, the accolades, and the power. Nothing has changed. We live in that world. But in the Christian community – and we know James is speaking to Christians here, for he uses the word “brother” – the landscape is completely level. The rich and the poor alike suffer trials of many kinds. In the faith, all stand equal before the Lord – either you believe in Jesus or you don’t. There is no amount of money that will change God’s view of you. There is no inherent evil found in money. But it certainly can bring challenges to our faith. When we are “rich” we lose sight of our utter dependence upon God. Verse 11 makes that abundantly clear. Your money cannot protect you from the trials this world can bring to bear upon your life.

So in what do we boast? Humility – across the board, rich or poor. The amount of wealth God has entrusted to you in no way speaks to His view of you. Before His throne, we all stand in a place of equal neediness. We ALL need a Savior and so God took care of that need and generously gave His Son for everyone. No matter how much cash you possess, all you can do in light of that truth is humbly bow your head in thanksgiving and praise.

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