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Am I a Bad Person if I Make a Lot of Money?
By Margie Marang
Not necessarily, it’s not how much money you have, it’s how you use it. We are going to look at a few places in the Bible and see how the Word of God says to use our money. In Matthew 19, starting in verse 16, a rich young man came to Jesus and asked Him what good thing he could do that he may have eternal life. Christ told him if he wanted to enter into life, keep the commandments. The young man wanted to know which commandments? Jesus told him in so many words about the Ten Commandments. The young man said he kept the commandments from his youth and wanted to know what he still lacked?
Jesus could tell he was tied to his money so He told him to sell every thing he had, give the money to the poor and follow him. If he did this he would have treasures in heaven. When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. The money was his physical security and he was not about to give it up.
Remember what the Israelites did after they left Egypt? When food and water was in short supply they wanted to go back into Egypt where they had physical security. Back in Egypt they were fed and had a place to sleep. They wanted to give up their freedom for physical security.
If you make a lot of money God expects you to give tithes and offerings accordingly. In Luke 21:1-4 it says Christ looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury and he saw a poor widow putting in two mites. So he told His disciples, truly this poor widow has put in more than all of the rich people. All of these, out of their abundance, have put in offerings for God. But she out of her poverty put in all the lively-hood she had.
In Matthew 5:44 it says we are to love our enemies. So how do we love our enemies? The same way we love our neighbor. And it says we are to love them as we love ourselves. How do we do this? What is the main goal in life for a Christian? It is the Kingdom of God. That’s what we are to inherit, so that is what we have to want for our neighbors and our enemies.
How do we help our neighbors and enemies make it into the Kingdom of God? If we have a lot of money we use that money to support a work that is getting the gospel out to the world; to give them the opportunity to have what we have, God’s Holy Spirit, which makes them an heir of God. That’s the only way we can use our money so that we love our neighbor and our enemies as we love ourselves.
Another thing to remember when we use our money to do a good deed or to get the gospel out is in Matthew 6:1-4, “take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in Heaven, Therefore when you do a good deed do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the Synagogues and in the streets that they may have glory from men. Assuredly I say to you they have their reward. But when you do a good deed do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. That your good deed may be in secret and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
Remember a lot of money does not make a bad person. The love of that money can make a bad person. Anything physical is very temporary and money is one of those things that won’t last. The only things that will last are spiritual. Be willing to give up everything you have so you can be in God’s Kingdom. i
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