Glad For a Reason

Glad For a Reason

James 1: ⁹ Those Christians who are poor must be glad when God lifts them up, ¹⁰ and the rich Christians must be glad when God brings them down. For the rich will pass away like the flower of a wild plant. ¹¹ The sun rises with its blazing heat and burns the plant; its flower falls off, and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way the rich will be destroyed while they go about their business.

 

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When I got my first job out of college, I was glad. I rejoiced because now I could pay for the bills I had accumulated. After a number of  job changes and promotions, I had was not satisfied with the level of wealth.

 

• I felt I needed more and I thought of reasons why.
• I looked at what other people were making and felt I “deserved” more.
• After a while I had no praise for what GOD was doing in my life, only complaints about other people.

 

James addressed wealth status. Some people may have mourned their status because they were too poor to do anything. Others may have flaunted their status because their businesses were flourishing. The stern warning to the rich is they could be destroyed trying to maintain their status.

 

My Observations:

• GOD warns us about becoming too wealthy to hear the needs of other people.
• GOD is the one who raises up people to where HE needs them to be.
• GOD tears people down to keep them away from the dangers of wealth.

 

Balance is the pursuit that is difficult. I mean, being too poor makes me cry out to GOD for rescue. On the other hand, being too rich, blinds me to the needs of others, causing me to dream up ways to keep or grow the amounts “I” have amassed. BUT GOD helps with balance.

 

GOD raises people up from poverty to help them see that HE is the answer. HE also sometimes tears the right people down so he or she will not get too prideful. GOD deserves all the praise and honor for what I have. I gladly say GOD is my provider.

 

Challenge

• What is the balance the writer is trying to get to?
• Have you ever gotten some money and stopped praying to GOD?
• Will you recognize your limits and keep praising HIM whether you have only a little or when you have plenty?