Truth My Kids Will Know - Rich ≠ Greedy and Poor ≠ Virtuous

 Lie #19 - "Those Rich People Are So Greedy!"

The idea of "Poor vs. Rich" isn't a new concept at all. It's been a common theme throughout history. It's a mentality that has caused countless crimes, has organized countless revolutions, and has ruined countless lives. And yet - for all the misery that this attitude has caused - it's never disappeared. Actually, it's still just as strong as it ever was.

The fighting and division between 'poor' and 'rich' is a natural outgrowth of what Jesus called covetousness. In Luke 12:15 He defines what happens when a person is covetous: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 

The definition of being covetous isn't "wanting what someone else has." 

The true definition of covetousness is "defining the quality of your life based on what you have or don't have."

And here is where we see an interesting point...with this definition, covetousness becomes a sin of rich and poor alike.

Because a covetous person defines their lives by their possessions, they'll often make an assumption when they see someone wealthier: "They think that they're better than me!"

Now this assumption about the wealthy person may be accurate...or it may not. But my point is...why would you make an assumption about what they're thinking?

When we define our lives based on what we have, we'll assume that everyone else does the same thing. 

People in this nation are always being stirred up to anger against "the greedy rich." You'll always hear whining about how much stuff the "one percenters" have...and how little they share with the rest of us. You'll hear the claim that it's "evil" to have all that money! (Isn't ironic, then, that a lot of the "99 percenters" that are whining about the evils of being rich would sell out their own parents to become rich themselves!)

Here's a secret:

A lot of money is not good.  A lot of money is not evil.

Money simply amplifies what's already inside someone. Whatever you are now, you'll be more of when you get more money.

Are you careless now? You'll be just as careless when you're rich.

Are you greedy now? Getting more money won't make you less greedy.

Are you selfless now? Then more money will only increase that selflessness.

What matters isn't "How much money do you have?" What matters is only "How much money can your character handle?"

We need to start judging based on people's character, not their checkbook.

Don't you think it's wrong to generally accuse the poor of being "lazy"?

Then wouldn't it be equally as wrong to broadly accuse the rich of being "greedy"?

Rich Does Not Mean Greedy

Listen, you need to forget about this idea that rich people are taking money from the poor. I'll almost guarantee you that 99% of millionaires and billionaires did not become rich by taking advantage of poor people.

The reality is, the majority of the rich and well-off didn't start that way - they actually earned what they have. Sometimes it was through hard work and sacrifice, as in starting a business. Other times it was by having the right idea at the right time, such as an invention that people want or need. Either way, most of them became rich by improving people's lives, not by taking advantage of them.

Are there rich people that are greedy and evil? Of course there are! There are greedy and evil people in every income bracket - why should we expect the top be any different? But there are also many rich people that are good, honest, and generous with what they have.

Here's another little-known fact that disagrees with modern class warfare: Even if we look at percentages instead of total dollar amounts, THE most generous class of people (as a whole) are the wealthy!

And for a lot of the wealthy, this generosity is not just because they have extra...many of them were generous people long before they were rich! Actually, as a Christian, I suggest that this generosity is actually the reason many of them became rich. Look at what Proverbs 11:25 says: "The generous soul will be made rich..."

Now, there are other wealthy people out there...ones that didn't earn their money. Some of the wealthy in this nation have inherited wealth, passed down from earlier generations. But let me ask you a question: Does that fact make their wealth less theirs? If I give something nice to my kids...what right do their peers have to take it from them and say "You didn't earn that!" 

Whether or not they're "good people"...

Whether or not they "earned their wealth"...

And whether you like it or not...The money of the rich rightfully and undoubtedly belongs to them.

One day - when you become rich yourself - you'll be grateful for this fact!

Poor Does Not Mean Virtuous

Society likes to contrast the evil rich with the virtuous poor. But remember the point I'm making here: we should not be making moral judgments about people based only on what they have.

Character, right? Not checkbook.

For example:

Can a rich person be greedy? Again, we've already agreed with this. Anyone can be greedy!

But think about this: Who is more greedy?

Someone who is rich - either by earning it, or by inheriting it.

   OR

Someone who is poor who looks at the rich and says, "I demand that you give me some of that!"

Can you not see something wrong with that mentality - demanding something that belongs to someone else?

When a rich person is covetous, he becomes happier as he gets more possessions. His life becomes centered around getting more. When this covetous rich person sees a poor person, he decides their life is somehow "less than" his.

In the same way; when a poor person is covetous, he becomes less happy as he possesses fewer things. His life becomes centered around what he doesn't have. This is especially true when he looks at a rich man and compares their lives. "That's not fair" becomes the motto of this covetous poor man.

But both sides are making the same mistake: They're both defining their lives (and the lives of others) based on their possessions.

No Partiality Allowed

This class warfare is obviously a divide-and-conquer tactic of the enemy...and it should have no place in the church! And yet...it shows up way too often among God's people.

James 2:1 says, "My brothers, don't hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality." He goes on to describe this partiality as it's displayed against the poor. In James chapter 2, we read a condemnation of anyone in church who would shun the poor and favor the rich.

Most people agree with this point - poor people should never be discriminated against in our churches. But did you know that this warning against partiality goes both ways? God also forbids discrimination against someone because of their wealth. Exodus 23:3 says it very clearly, "You shall not show partiality to the poor man..." As believers, we are forbidden from accusing a brother or sister of being "snobbish" or "stuck-up" or "elitist"...only because they have more than we do. 

In our churches, there should be NO preferred seating based on income or apparel. There should be no "biggest donors' clubs or any kind of exclusivity based on your earnings bracket. Church parking lots should commonly have clunkers and rust-buckets sitting side-by-side with Mercedes and Teslas...all the while with no shame toward the poor, or condemnation toward the rich.  Someone standing in any church foyer should see conversations freely taking place between rich an poor - with no feelings of intimidation or scorn toward each other.

Money is too trivial to define the life of a believer. We shouldn't assume someone has a better life because they have more. And we shouldn't assume someone has a lower life because they have less. 

As Christians, we are defined by our faith...and that's something rich and poor both should have in common!

While the world is attacking the wealthy for being rich, my kids will know the truth:

Rich does not equal greedy, and poor does not equal virtuous. Character alone matters.