The Wealthy

I started writing down all of the ways that I am rich. This stemmed from the realization that I am so rich in so many ways. Our Life Group very briefly mentioned needs the other day. I got to thinking about what my true needs are—they are relatively few. When I wrote down a need, I asked “why do I need that?” Then after thinking about the answer I asked myself, “why is that a need?” Why, why, why, until I boiled down what I thought was a need into either want, or the true need…there are very few true physical needs. The spiritual needs list is actually much longer. Then I realized how extravagantly rich I am…so I was inspired to list all of the ways I am rich, and as a follow up, all of the ways I am poor. My rich list is long. If you’re like me, you’ll have a very hard time listing many things at all that you are truly physically poor in. I have heard it reported that if you own a car, you are in something like the top 5% of wealth in the world. If you own a house, you’re well within the top 1%. I don’t know the actual percentages, but a study by Branko Milanovic (World Bank research lead economist) in 2000 reported that the average American with an income in the bottom 10% of the U.S. population “is better off than 2/3 of the world population.” The gist of the message is this—if you’re reading this, you’re rich. Instead, to find any way that I am poor, I have to turn to my attitudes and weaknesses—if I am poor, it is spiritually. But even spiritually I have lived an advantaged life. Think about it—let’s make the analogy of spiritual wealth to monetary wealth. I grew up in a Christian home and went to church my entire life. I accepted Jesus and was baptized at 6 years old. I am the spoiled rich kid, spiritually. The one who did nothing on his own, but just grew up rich and didn’t appreciate it—I grew up introduced to God all around me…and I haven’t appreciated it. Going further, those spoiled rich kids are often the ones that end up not amounting to much, except that hopefully they won’t squander their father’s wealth too quickly—they don’t know how to make money themselves. Are we numb to God’s presence in our lives? Do we even realize how abundant He is in our lives, like a spoiled rich kid? Who are the men whom we admire, concerning riches? They are certainly not those who have inherited their wealth. No, they are the men who were raised in poverty, worked toward their goals, and became very respectable, hard-working, appreciative rich men…men of transformation. Is it not the same for God’s leaders? Don’t you admire those such as Paul or C.S. Lewis, who came from the poorest of spiritual backgrounds—one a chief persecutor of Christians and one an Atheist? Don’t we admire what God did through them, the choice they made for God? They changed their life directions…just as the poor man, turned successful business man.

I don’t want to be a spoiled, rich, church kid. There are those who grew up wealthy, who paid attention to their fathers, mothers, and mentors…and continued to do great things with their wealth. “To whom much is given, much is required.” I tell you, anyone who grew up a Christian in America has been given very much—and very much is therefore required! Lose your numbness! Appreciate what you have! For there are many in this world who have not yet heard the good news of Jesus Christ—they are poor, if not monetarily, certainly spiritually. But even worse, there are those who have had ingrained in them morals and beliefs opposite those of God. Just as we are to share our monetary wealth, we are to share our spiritual wealth. We have much to share. Look at those who had no spiritual advantages and what they have done with their newfound faith—do we not have the opportunity to do that, too? We do, and we have even greater opportunity. Unfortunately, many of us have settled into a life of wealth squandering—we are used to just sitting around churches and a Christian nation, content to progress our relationship with God no further. I say we must take the investment of our forefathers and the saints, and continue their work to do even more with it! This means a shift in the way we live, for those anything like me. What will you do with your wealth?