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I think that if you follow Jesus Christ you are to be wealthy.
I was not raised this way (I wish I had ).
Seriously, I was taught that we were to lose all to gain Him. "If any man will, let him take up his cross...", "I die daily", "Who is He that ascended, but first descended...", "is the servant greater than His master?"...
Not that we should shun wealth, but to be careful that nothing swells the soul and shrinks the spirit if you will.
I am undoubtedly wealthy becuase I live with six other people who adore me. Regardless of income, I will always be wealthy while this is true. I have a wealth of love.
When it comes to material wealth, it depends on your persepctive. I suggest that almost all people that others consider wealthy do not consider themselves wealthy. As long as they see other people substnatially better of than they are, they do nto consider themselves wealthy.
You also have to figure out what you base material wealth upon. High income? Big savings and investments? fancy cars, clothes, and electronic devices?
I have known people with comparatively low incomes who save and inves every penny. They still have low incomes, but they own a lot of property, or stock. I know people who have very good incomes, but simply do not have the skills to handle the moeny very well and they live like paupers just making it from paycheck to paycheck. I know people who have very little income, but drive fancy cars, and wear fancy clothing. They are usually massively in debt, but they look good. Which of these persons are wealthy?
When Jesus said "Blessed are the poor" Didn't it really say blessed are the poor in spririt? Then does wealthy in the Bible translate to wealthy in spirit?
Wealth is relative. Does being poor mean that you do not have three television sets? Does it mean living at or near starvation levels? I do not think that many people in the US are in danger of starving. On the other hand millions will never be able to buy a home. Millions more are currently losing their homes. Perhaps everyone who is not included in those million and millions are to be considered wealthy. This is a confusing question.
realistically any wealth is too mcuh wealt if it becomes the focus of your life. In many cases, people get some form of wealth and then become willing to take desperate measures to hang on to it. That is when wealth is a problem.
Look at the people who consider, or do commit suicide because they lost their house. what is up with that? Why do you need to own a house? They did not own a house 20 years agao and never contemplated suicide because of it, why do not owning a house now, drive them to that level? I think it is becuase having achieved that level of wealth, they are so devoted to their wealth that they cannto accept the possibility, or reality of going back to having less wealth. That is cleary a case of too much wealth and those people would have been better off never achieving the level of wealth that would alow them to buy a house.
When do you consider someone wealthy? How wealthy is too wealthy? Do you think it is a sin to be wealthy as long as God is first in your life, your #1 priority isn't money, you earned the money fairly and honestly, and you donate to charity? What does the house of someone wealthy look like to you?
Wealthy is when someone OWNS their own home ( not the bank as in a mortgage ) and owns their own transportation ( no financing ) and have the funds to pay their own bills, expenses, etc without any hardship whatsoever.
Back in the day they were called "gentleman" or a man of no profession...yeah, way back when!
But today, it's okay to be employed, to use a budget, etc.
But to me, true wealth comes with family, friends, health, and of course not worrying about money.
Jesus spoke many times on money and about saving and making more wealth. So, I think wealth is not a sin.
Can you show me some examples?
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