"Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man
whose ways are perverse." Proverbs 28:6
But, what if they both walk blamelessly?
"I've been rich and I've been poor. Rich is better,” so said
Sophie Tucker. The thousands who, every day, buy lottery tickets, must agree.
But IS rich better? Proverbs 22:2 says: "Rich and poor have this in
common: The LORD is Maker of them all."
Jesus lovingly worked with the rich. There was Zachaus,
Matthew the tax collector, Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea. But, He also loved the poor. Remember the blind man, the invalid at the
fountain, and the woman with her mite?
James told us NOT to differentiate between the two. "But if you show
favoritism (between rich and poor), you sin and are convicted by the law."
James 2:9
It is altogether possible that money, the abundance OR the lack,
has nothing to do with one's spirituality. The only difference is the TYPE of
problems one has.
My husband and I, while attending Bible School, were so
poor we couldn't have put a down payment on a free lunch. Years later, owning a
company, we could have bought lunches for the whole school. Which was better? I
was always the same inside...just a Christian who loved God and wanted to
please Him. I had the same hang-ups and problems. The only real difference I
ever noticed was the way others viewed me. Frankly, I was treated better when I
was poor.
People were kind and helpful. Having more only caused some to be critical of
how I spent my money and time. Spiritually, I was the same person.
I have traveled with others around third world countries and am
often interested in their reactions to poverty. Some are so upset about
one-room homes and dirt floors that they miss seeing the laughing children
playing under the tree, or the smiling mother doing her wash by hand. Perhaps,
the more appalled we are by poverty reveals how deeply we believe the lie that
riches bring happiness.
A friend's husband often criticized her for her involvement in a ministry with
well-to-do ladies. He was sure that his ministry with rescue mission people was
closer to God's heart. One day, stopped at a main intersection where numerous
well-dressed businessmen walked by, God's clear conviction spoke to his heart,
"who are YOU to say that the wealthy are any less deserving of my
salvation than the poor?" Suddenly, He understood the equality of man in
God's sight. He stopped criticizing his wife, instead he helped her with her
ministry.
Perhaps neither rich or poor is best. Proverbs 30: “Two things I ask of you, O
Lord… keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I
may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”
Jerilyn Jackson writes from Longview, Washington. JerilynRJ@aol.com