{"id":2261,"date":"2015-09-11T06:30:07","date_gmt":"2015-09-11T11:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/?p=2261"},"modified":"2015-09-09T14:52:13","modified_gmt":"2015-09-09T19:52:13","slug":"how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Be a Rich Christian (Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/a>

image via Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Not all accumulation of wealth is a result of injustice<\/a>. However, even when wealth is gained through legitimate means, it still has the potential to do great harm. There are many passages of Scripture that alert the reader to the truth that wealth is dangerous. Riches can cause all kinds of negative side effects:<\/p>\n

1. Wealth can lead to pride and arrogance.<\/strong><\/h3>\n Proverbs 28:11<\/a>\u00a0notes, \u201cThe rich is wise in self-esteem, but an intelligent poor person sees through the pose.\u201d It is easy for those with wealth to believe they have gained it solely through their own cleverness or hard work. Ezekiel warns the King of Tyre, \u201cBy your great wisdom in trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth\u201d (Ezekiel 28:5<\/a>).<\/p>\n 2. Wealth frequently leads to self-sufficiency, complacency and a false sense of security<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n One extreme example of this is Ephraim\u2019s boast in\u00a0Hosea 12:8<\/a>. \u201cAh, I am rich, I have gained wealth for myself; in all of my gain no offense has been found in me that would be sin.\u201d And the words of Hosea a chapter later are also very poignant\u2014describing Israel\u2019s abandonment of God\u2014\u201cWhen I fed them, they were satisfied; they were satisfied, and their heart was proud\u201d (Hosea 13:6<\/a>). Jesus also notes the danger of wealth lulling us into a false sense of security, in his parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21<\/a>). It is only too easy to think that we have no need of God when our bellies are full, life is good, and the future seems assured.<\/p>\n 3. Wealth can also dull our senses to the deep needs around us, draining us of compassion and mercy.<\/strong><\/h3>\n Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31<\/a>). Even though the poor man Lazarus lives in great distress at the rich man\u2019s gate, the rich man is impervious to his plight, so consumed is he with his own lifestyle and consumption. Ironically, even in Hades, the rich man is obsessed with his own needs and still views Lazarus as nothing but a pawn.<\/p>\n Image via Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n4. Riches\u00a0can\u00a0capture\u00a0our hearts and divide\u00a0our loyalties<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n Here we see the Bible\u2019s acknowledgment of the power that money wields. The Psalmist warns us of this when he writes, \u201cIf riches increase, do not set your heart on them\u201d (Psalm 62:10b<\/a>). This danger is also carefully spelled out for the people of Israel in\u00a0Deuteronomy 8:12-17<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and\u00a0flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied\u2026then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God\u2026Do not say to yourself, \u201cMy power and the might of my own hand have gotten\u00a0me this wealth.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n These are sobering words. Perhaps this is why the writer of\u00a0Proverbs 30<\/a>\u00a0asks of God:<\/p>\n \u201cGive me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need, or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, \u201cWho is the Lord?\u201d or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.\u201d<\/em> (Proverbs 30:8-9<\/a>)<\/p>\n The dangers of wealth are even more pronounced in the New Testament. Central to the attitude of Jesus is his statement:<\/p>\n \u201cNo one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth<\/em>.\u201d (Matthew 6:24<\/a>)<\/p>\n The word used here for wealth is\u00a0mammon<\/em>. Some translations, such as the NIV, capitalize this word to emphasize that Jesus is pitting one god against another. Both seek our allegiance and worship. Wealth is not neutral. It\u2019s insatiable\u2014once you have some of it, you seem to keep wanting more and more of it. No wonder Jesus commented to his disciples after his encounter with the rich young man:<\/p>\n \u201cTruly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 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.\u201d<\/em> (Matthew 19:23-24<\/a>)<\/p>\n For Jesus then, wealth is a dangerous thing. It is like a stick of dynamite\u2014having the potential to do much good, but also to cause a lot of damage. And the more you have, the greater the risks.<\/p>\n <\/a> Image via Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n5. Gaining provision and wealth may fuel dissatisfaction with what we have and, with it, the desire for more. <\/strong><\/h3>\n*********** ** Envy and covetousness can easily develop as we compare our lot with that of others who have more than we do. In fact, the drive to accumulate and to consume more makes us vulnerable to manipulation. As early as 1929, Floyd Allen, an executive with General Motors, put it bluntly\u2014\u201cAdvertising is\u00a0the business of making people helpfully dissatisfied with what they have in favor of something better<\/strong>.\u201d[1]<\/p>\n ** More recently, sociologist Bernard McGrane suggested that<\/p>\n ** \u201cOne of the sub-texts of all advertising is, \u201cYou\u2019re not okay the way you are. Things are bad. You need help. You need salvation.\u201d In that sense, advertising is designed to generate endless self-criticism, all sorts of anxieties, and then to offer the entire world of consumer goods as your salvation\u2026In contrast, one message you\u2019ll never hear in advertising is, \u2018You\u2019re okay. You don\u2019t need anything. Just be yourself.\u2019<\/strong>\u201d<\/em>[2]<\/p>\n ** ***********We easily find ourselves perpetually desiring more. We have trained our appetites to always desire more. Working out what is enough is exceptionally challenging within this environment. Perhaps this is what James was addressing when he wrote:<\/p>\n**** \u201cYou covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not\u00a0have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.\u201d<\/em> (James 4:2-3<\/a>)<\/p>\n Image via Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n6. We can become anxious and full of worry about the future provision of our needs.<\/strong><\/h3>\n************* ** One would think that this kind of concern would only fill the hearts and minds of those who genuinely don\u2019t have enough. However, most people who have plenty also develop this insidious stress. Having more than the basic necessities seems to make us more anxious because now we have more stuff to worry about losing.<\/p>\n ** The fear of not having enough is what drives some people to work unnecessarily long hours under the pretext that to provide for their children means buying them the latest gadgets and fashionable clothes, when what they really need most is the parent\u2019s time and attention. Others are consumed by the fear that they won\u2019t have enough money to sustain them through their twilight years. And so they plan for their future provision at the cost of serving God and others in the here-and-now, developing rich and meaningful relationships, or living a balanced life.<\/p>\n ** *************Still others lie awake at night worrying about whether a particular investment is safe or dreaming of how to get the house or car they really want. In fact, more anxious energy is consumed on money matters than on almost anything else. Is it this anxiety that drives people to do things they normally wouldn\u2019t\u2014like commit fraud, be less than honest, sacrifice a friendship or compromise their values?<\/p>\n**** Having more than the basic provision we need can be a burden. The well-known words of Jesus in\u00a0Matthew 6<\/a>\u2014spoken to a crowd who knew what it was like to struggle to make ends meet\u2014are particularly pertinent:<\/p>\n \u201cDo not worry, saying, \u2018What will we eat?\u2019 or \u2018What will we drink?\u2019 or \u2018What will we wear?\u2019 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.\u201d<\/em> (Matthew 6:31-33<\/a>)<\/p>\n This is a very provocative statement of Jesus. It is not easy to trust God\u2014particularly if your economic future is uncertain. However, as N.T. Wright notes: \u201cWhen [Jesus] urged his followers not to worry about tomorrow, we must assume he led them by example.\u201d[3]\u00a0If we ask, \u201cCan anyone really trust God this way?\u201d we can answer that at least one person did.<\/p>\n Click to Like Theology of Work Project<\/a><\/h3>\n <\/a> Click to Like Theology of Work Project on Facebook<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n*************** ** \u00a0<\/p>\n ** [1]\u00a0Harvey Salgo, \u201cThe Obsolescence of Growth: Capitalism and the Environmental Crisis\u201d in\u00a0<\/span>The Review of Radical Political Economics 5<\/em>\u00a0(Fall 1973), 32.<\/span><\/p>\n ** [2]\u00a0Transcript from the documentary film,\u00a0<\/span>The Ad & the Ego<\/em>\u00a0(Parallax Pictures).<\/span><\/p>\n ** [3]\u00a0N.T. Wright,\u00a0<\/span>Matthew for Everyone, Part One<\/em>(SPCK, 2004), 66.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ** ***************Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth Not all accumulation of wealth is a result of injustice. However, even when wealth is gained through legitimate means, it still has the potential to do great harm. There are many passages of Scripture that alert the reader to the truth that wealth is dangerous. Riches can cause all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1784,"featured_media":2304,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[119],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Be a Rich Christian (Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth Not all accumulation of wealth is a result of injustice. However, even when wealth is gained through legitimate means,\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Be a Rich Christian (Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth Not all accumulation of wealth is a result of injustice. However, even when wealth is gained through legitimate means,\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Theology of Work Project\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-09-11T11:30:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-09-09T19:52:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/438\/2015\/09\/piggy-bank-850607_1280.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Theology of Work Project\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Theology of Work Project\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/\",\"name\":\"How to Be a Rich Christian (Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-09-11T11:30:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-09-09T19:52:13+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/#\/schema\/person\/254edb2a91474d7bd201a4e4ec089dcf\"},\"description\":\"Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth Not all accumulation of wealth is a result of injustice. However, even when wealth is gained through legitimate means,\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Be a Rich Christian (Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/\",\"name\":\"Theology of Work Project\",\"description\":\"The Bible and everyday work\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/#\/schema\/person\/254edb2a91474d7bd201a4e4ec089dcf\",\"name\":\"Theology of Work Project\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d5f0909b8f7284da96268cd50da87fe?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d5f0909b8f7284da96268cd50da87fe?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Theology of Work Project\"},\"description\":\"The Theology of Work Project helps pastors, ministry leaders and Christians in the workplace explore what the Bible says about everyday work. The TOW Project recently completed a first-of-its-kind resource, the Theology of Work Bible Commentary. A team of 138 respected scholars, pastors and workplace Christians from 16 countries contributed to the commentary, which is available for free online at www.theologyofwork.org or in print at theologyofwork.christianbook.com.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/author\/theologyofworkproject\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Be a Rich Christian (Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth)","description":"Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth Not all accumulation of wealth is a result of injustice. However, even when wealth is gained through legitimate means,","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Be a Rich Christian (Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth)","og_description":"Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth Not all accumulation of wealth is a result of injustice. However, even when wealth is gained through legitimate means,","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/","og_site_name":"Theology of Work Project","article_published_time":"2015-09-11T11:30:07+00:00","article_modified_time":"2015-09-09T19:52:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":853,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/438\/2015\/09\/piggy-bank-850607_1280.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Theology of Work Project","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Theology of Work Project","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/","name":"How to Be a Rich Christian (Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/#website"},"datePublished":"2015-09-11T11:30:07+00:00","dateModified":"2015-09-09T19:52:13+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/#\/schema\/person\/254edb2a91474d7bd201a4e4ec089dcf"},"description":"Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth Not all accumulation of wealth is a result of injustice. However, even when wealth is gained through legitimate means,","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/2015\/09\/how-to-be-a-rich-christian-part-4-the-temptations-of-wealth\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Be a Rich Christian (Part 4: The Temptations of Wealth)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/","name":"Theology of Work Project","description":"The Bible and everyday work","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/#\/schema\/person\/254edb2a91474d7bd201a4e4ec089dcf","name":"Theology of Work Project","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d5f0909b8f7284da96268cd50da87fe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d5f0909b8f7284da96268cd50da87fe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Theology of Work Project"},"description":"The Theology of Work Project helps pastors, ministry leaders and Christians in the workplace explore what the Bible says about everyday work. The TOW Project recently completed a first-of-its-kind resource, the Theology of Work Bible Commentary. A team of 138 respected scholars, pastors and workplace Christians from 16 countries contributed to the commentary, which is available for free online at www.theologyofwork.org or in print at theologyofwork.christianbook.com.","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/author\/theologyofworkproject\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1784"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2261\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theologyofworkproject\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}