Observation: James, the leader of the first century church in Jerusalem, and the younger brother of Jesus, has some very strong language for rich people. All your treasure will rot and rust, and the wages you unfairly kept back from your workers will cry out to God. There will be a reckoning for those who gain wealth in an unfair way, or who take advantage of an unfair system.
Application: I grew up in a middle class home in suburban Detroit. My parents tell me there were lean times, but I don't remember ever being worried. I feel truly fortunate to have had access to a good education and spent most of my adult life in a fulfilling, full-time job. I'm thankful to God for all of that.
At this point in my life, our "treasure" seems to flow out to the landlord, the car dealership, the utilities companies, the medical professionals, and so on, before we get much chance to "store it up." But that doesn't change an important fact that middle class Christians are too apt to sugarcoat: whether or not we feel we have "enough", wealth is a spiritual liability. Which is to say, having it is fine, but it can also be dangerous, so handle with care. Even having a little can be dangerous without God's guidance. Our messed up attitudes about wealth--how much we deserve, how much we feel it defines us, how much we use it as a measuring stick relative to our neighbors--stack up like oily rags in our spiritual garage. If you just leave them alone, without looking through them, you might be okay...but why would you risk it? Why not dispose of our attitudes properly, and turn to God for guidance in how to use our wealth?
Prayer: God, help me let go of my stinginess, and my trust in money to solve my problems. Cast out the unclean spirits of greed and apathy from our hearts and our society. Amen.
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