A Biblical Perspective on the Rich
The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. - 1 Samuel 2:7
Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. - Psalm 49:15-17
The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, "See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!" - Psalm 52:6-8
Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. - Psalm 73:12
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. - Proverbs 11:4
When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too - Proverbs 11:7 .
Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. - Proverbs 11:28
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. - Proverbs 22:1
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. - Proverbs 28:5
A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. - Proverbs 28:20
Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! - Proverbs 23:4.
Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven - Proverbs 23:4-5.
Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. - Ecclesiastes 5:12
Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless - Ecclesiastes 5:10.
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money]. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? - Matt 6:24.
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. - Matthew 13:21
And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person 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 a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." - Matthew 19:22-25
And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" - Luke 12:15.
But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. - Luke 6:23-25
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him - Luke 16:14.
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, . . . - 2 Timothy 3:2.
Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs - 1 Timothy 6:6-10 .
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you - Hebrews 13:5.
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. - James 5:1
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:18-22
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life - 1 Timothy 6:17-19.
How financially rich are you? You may be richer than you think.
The following is according to the 1999 United Nations Human Development Report:
* Today, across the world, 1.3 billion people live on less than one dollar a day;
* 3 billion, nearly half the world, live on under two dollars a day;
* 1.3 billion have no access to clean water;
* 3 billion have no access to sanitation;
* 2 billion have no access to electricity.
* According to the United Nations Hunger Project, roughly 24,000 people a day die from hunger-related causes.
* If you own your home, you have more than most in the world do.
* If you have a car, you are richer than most.
* If you eat out at a restaurant, you spend more than the average monthly income in Nicaragua.
* If you have ever spent money to lose weight, then you are wealthy in the world's eyes
* If you buy a Coke, a lottery ticket, or a cup of coffee, you spent a day's wages for many humans.
* If you take the trash out every week, think about the millions who rummage through trash to live
* One pack of disposable diapers is more than most babies will ever wear
* A personal computer is an unaffordable luxury to most in the world.
* A glass of clean water is unheard of in much of the world.
* If you have a toilet, you have more than 60-80% of people in the world
* If you take a week's vacation, you will spend more than the world's average yearly income
* Most people in the world make less money in a month than you will spend on dinner and a movie.
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