Are we even meant to be rich???

This question came to me over several before-bedtime discussions my husband and I have had over the past week.

Right now, my husband and I are studying the book of Hosea. Two verses (NKJV) really jumped out at me:

Hos. 12:8
And Ephraim said, 'Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors they shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.'

Hos. 13:6
When they had pasture, they were filled;
They were filled and their heart was exalted;
Therefore, they forgot Me.

That made me question how much I really want to be "wealthy" when I finally "grow up"! Look at what devastating results Israel experienced when they became wealthy. Is that really what I want for me, my husband, and our kids?

In addition, my husband is reading The Gospel According to Judas, which referred to the following pair of verses (NKJV):

Lu. 6:20, 24
"Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God...but woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation."

Again, where is the true reward in wealth? Is it something we should strive toward? So many people work so very hard to pay off their bills so they can finally save money. To what end? Most of them want to be rich when they retire.

Is that bad? I won't say. All I can say is that it seems many people meet bad endings when they do finally become rich. These verses show us just how devastating wealth can be: it blinds us to the outpouring of love and blessings God has given us that allow us to be rich. If there's something worse than knowing God and turning your back on Him, I can't think of it right now!

Again, I come to this truth "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Tim. 6:10).

What's my point? I urge you, strive for more than being rich! We are so much more than what we wear, drive, own, or use. Wealth, is, when the end comes, just something we leave behind. Strive to be the man or woman God calls you to be. Work diligently to fulfill His purpose for all of us: to enjoy Him in all His goodness and love for us and to go make disciples of all peoples.

If God decides we're to end up wealthy, so be it. But let it be a by-product of His grace, not the fulfillment of your life's work. Use the principles He gives us in the Bible to use the money He gives us in the wisest way possible. For financial help, check out a Bible-based assistance program like BeatingDebt.org.

-Domestic Goddess out.