Wealth Comes With a Warning
James 5:1-5
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
Where on earth do I even begin with these verses?!?
How about…
“Overdramatic much, James?”
“These don’t apply to me.”
“I’m not rich, unless you’re counting handsomeness.”
“Don’t have employees but if I did, I would never fail to pay them.”
“Don’t live in luxury but if you saw my two cars and three bedroom house with a 200 square foot sunroom you’d know that, James.”
You probably caught my sarcasm but in case you didn’t, and in case you’ve done the same thing I’ve done with James’ words -
Let me help you not miss what you absolutely must not miss in these verses.
Wealth comes with a warning…a dire, can’t-exaggerate-enough warning.
What is that warning exactly?
If you make money your master, you will be left with something worse than nothing in the end.
It means money must come with a too small and too-long-to-read fine print…
That when you make money your boss and getting rich your goal, one of the side effects is discontentment.
Your eyes are constantly off what you have and focused on what you don’t.
They are always on their house, that car, those things.
One of the hellish evils of chasing riches is the lie that you’ll be fulfilled and satisfied when you get them. But what you’ll actually find upon getting wealth is a desire to get more of it.
We’ve all been there, fallen for that.
Let’s entertain James’ warning with a little more introspection for a second.
What if we really are rich? What if we’ve already ‘got it’?
What if we are guilty of hoarding our wealth for ourselves?
What if the wages we’ve failed to pay the workers aren’t our employees but people in our lives we’ve failed to be generous towards?
What if my desire for more is what I’m really following after?
If all or even some of that is true, then the warnings are for me. The outcomes he’s spelled out are my now and could-be future reality.
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Timothy 6:1
God’s Kingdom is completely different than our idea of a kingdom.
God says, “You want to get ahead? You want to make it? You want to experience riches and wealth? Don’t go chasing after it. Be content with what you have.”
Contentment can’t come with winning the lottery, or receiving an inheritance, or landing that big paying job. Riches can’t give you what you’re really searching for - they’re not made to be a master, and they’re not made to last past this very temporary life.
Wealth comes with a warning but the gospel comes with a way of freedom.
With Jesus, you’ve already got it. He’s already accomplished what you couldn’t, and He’s got your moth and rust-proof inheritance safe and secure just on the other side.
Live like that’s true. Follow the One who made all that possible.
