Is Your Wealth a Blessing or a Curse?

Questions to consider this Christmas...

Did you know that it was estimated that Americans would spend over 1 trillion dollars at Christmas in 2019? 

If Christmas spending this year relates to the decorating that started in mid October, there's no telling how much we're liable to spend this year as we seek to soothe the pain of  the pandemic.

All of this explosion of materialism at Christmas warrants a serious consideration of a question that's been raised...

Is your wealth a blessing or a curse?

With the outbreak of rioting this year, we heard voices of the culture shouting to the wealthy. 

They seemed to say that if you're white, straight, married, and healthy; and you make a certain amount of money you should be ashamed of yourself, sit down, and be quiet. 

The irony of it is that some of the people shouting are the sons and daughters of white, straight, married and healthy people who make a certain amount of money!

(Some of that money most likely helps to pay the cost of the cell phone they're using to shout!)

And as the voices of the culture cry out, we have the opportunity to sort it out filtered through Truth.

Remember, Truth is a person. And it's His birthday we're celebrating this month. Because we have a personal relationship with Truth, we can know the truth and the truth can set us free. (John 8:32)

Is our wealth a blessing or a curse?

 Let's see what Jesus said. 

According to Forbes, money and possessions are the 2nd most talked about topic in the Bible with money being mentioned over 800 times. 

And according to Google (our go-to librarian extraordinare), the Bible has well over 2000 verses related to money.

So somewhere between 800 and 2000 times the Bible addressed this issue of wealth.

Wow--that's a lot.

For the sake of time, let's talk about the day when Truth met with a rich young ruler. In His interaction with the truth-seeking young man (who would've most certainly been called "privileged" today),  Jesus invited the rich young ruler to sell all his possessions and become a disciple.

Scripture tells us that the young man left Jesus very sad--for he'd finally found what he was looking for; the Truth that would set him free, and yet the attachment he had to all his stuff robbed him of the adventure of a lifetime.

When the rich young ruler walked away, Jesus said to his disciples,

“Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 19:23-24

Jesus didn't exactly say that wealth was evil. He simply explained that it could certainly be a hindrance...an enormous hindrance.

Having wealth isn't evil.

In fact, Jesus' ministry was funded by wealthy women (see Luke 8:1-3). 

It's when wealth has you that you lose your way.

Wealth is a curse when it's used to create an extravagant, self-serving lifestyle that produces entitled offspring who know something's not right--they're just not sure what (and therefore they're out there marching in the streets giving expression to their frustration and confusion). 

Wealth is a curse when it holds us back from the unbridled lifestyle that can freely follow Jesus--wherever He may go.

Wealth is a curse when those who are wealthy get caught up in the "game" that demands more and more and more and more...until every other relationship and experience is lost in the pursuit of the infinite "more." 

But wealth is also a blessing.

Wealth is a blessing when its given freely to support the ministry of Jesus. Southern Baptists  (the largest protestant denomination in America and the one I'm a part of) gave upwards toward $11.8 billion in 2019. That's a lot of money.

I don't know exactly how to collect the numbers but if we were to compare the $$ given to charity that comes through the Church and that given through secular organizations, I've a hunch the Church would outweigh the others easily.

Giving to alleviate the suffering in this world is certainly a tenant of our faith. While we believe that suffering is a part of living in a fallen world; we also follow a God who loves us and, out of His generosity, He gives extravantly to us.

He expects those who serve Him to reflect His love to everyone--especially those who are poor.

I dare say shepherds were marginalized in Jesus' day--and yet, of all the people God could've sent His angels to tell of the birth of Jesus, He sent His heavenly hosts to deliver the divine birth announcement to  ...

the shepherds.

Those lowly shepherds "keeping watch ore their flocks by night" were given the amazing commission to announce the coming of the LORD.

The voices in our culture that are shouting to us today are not altogether wrong. God does want us to hear the hearts of those who are marginalized in our culture today. He expects us to respond to our fallen world just as He responded. With...

Love...

Compassion...

And generosity.

As you do your Christmas shopping this year, consider reaching out to someone who needs something more than you do. 

Share some of your wealth with them.

But don't just give them stuff. Do more than that! Give them your heart. Take time to hear their hearts and do whatever it takes to bless their souls.