Read with Me
James 1:9-11 (HCSB)
The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation, but the one who is rich should boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will wither away while pursuing his activities.
Listen with Me
The reality of the Kingdom of God tends to turn a lot of things upside down, to invert assumptions and to challenge all the so-called settled truths by which many order their lives. James points to a key example in this paragraph.
Many people, then and now, assume that financial wealth is a sure sign of God’s favor, and that poverty, or at least humble means, is a sign of His disfavor. But the reality is two-fold. The first part is that there are many ways one can achieve wealth, the vast majority of which have nothing to do with God or his blessings. Fortunes had been amassed by crime, corruption, and oppression of others. This wealth achieved by ungodly means, does not ultimately turn out to be a blessing, but an anchor that drags one’s soul down into hell.
The other reality is that God does not value worldly wealth. In his kingdom worldly wealth is only useful as a means to accomplish His mission of bringing salvation to the ends of the earth. And He bestows that worldly wealth only on those who will devote that wealth and themselves wholeheartedly to fulfilling His mission. Worldly wealth is too unstable, too likely to be lost, stolen, or devalued to be ultimately useful to Him.
Instead, God deals in the currency of divine power and authority. This power and authority is given to those who devote themselves to God’s agenda of intentional outreach and impact, and who are wholly committed to obedience to His commands. God’s divine power and authority working in those who are faithful cannot be lost, stolen, or devalued. It will always be powerful and effective.
It is this reality that underlies James’ bold statement. Those who are in humble circumstances but who are devoted to God and His agenda will be in the highest place in His kingdom. They will be given the most power and authority precisely because of their devotion to God’s agenda and not to pursuing wealth. But those whose focus is on amassing and retaining worldly wealth stand to lose that wealth when things turn bad, and then they will be left with a faith and standing in God’s kingdom that has been atrophied and desiccated by neglect.
Pray with Me
Father, this really does turn conventional wisdom on its head. But it makes perfect sense from a kingdom worldview. If we want to be truly blessed, and not just in this world but in the next as well, the currency we need to focus on in this world is not dollars, or rubles, or even Bitcoin. It is Your divine power, Your spiritual authority, and Your soul-saving, world-transforming agenda. And we can’t have business and amassing wealth as our chief focus and participate in Your agenda as a hobby or a side gig. Your agenda must become the chief focus of our life and our efforts. It is those who desperately hunger and thirst for righteousness who will be filled. It is those who seek first your kingdom and your righteousness who will be provided for and who will gain true riches that don’t rust or decay and which can never be stolen. Lord, help me to always live in these priorities, no matter how upside down they might seem to those around me Amen.