Who Is Truly Rich?

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

Who is poor and who is rich that is the question today? Most people judge who is rich by a person's net worth. Many put their worth in their net worth. There is only problem with this, when we die we can't take it with us. Jesus judges net worth in terms of the kingdom. The kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. Jesus came to inaugurate God's kingdom and showed us what is truly valuable. Jesus gave us a new definition of being rich in God's eyes, which is very different than in the world.

And what is interesting is that your view of true riches changes your view of how you view the poor and how you give to other causes. Because if you realize everything you have came from God and is God's, you will realize you are the manager. You have been given resources, and the question is will you hoard them until that "some day" out there? This doesn't mean it is wrong to plan for your retirement or your children's education, but what is your attitude toward the poor, or others in need? Is it, "Well they are in poverty because they are lazy. I mean they could always get a job at Walmart!" While this may true, it may not be. For instance, there are are people who become mentally ill and fall out of the programs that are supposed to help them. Some have no family. Some have no help. I met one of these nameless people recently. They had no family, no help, and the only thing they could turn to was the church.

When we come to the end our faith journey, it is not going to be how much we know, not how many times we have made it to church, as important as those pursuits are. The question is what have we done with what we have been given. How have we invested the resources we have been given for the kingdom, and toward those who are poor in this life, but will be rich in the next life. How are you measuring your net worth?

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