Restoring Christian Wealth:

Corning to Terms
Brian Abshire, Ph.D.
Chapter two if Brian tmpubiished
book 11,f7eaith and Poverty: Restating Chtistia1t
TFeaith.)J A new chapter appears in each issue.
I
n order to get a handle on the problem of restoring
Christian wealth, we first need to make sure that we
understand words in the same way that Scripture does.
In modern usage, the term "poor" usually means anyone
who is not economically well off and the term "rich"
means anyone who is. People look at the two words as a
spectrum with poverty on one end and wealth on the other.
Furthermore neither end of the spectrum is set in stone,
thus, as cultural economic standards
change, the definition of "rich" and
"poor" changes.
For example, most people today
would consider a family "poor" if
seven people lived in four rooms
kitchen), with no running
water and had to use an outhouse for
sanitation. Yet, my family lived in a
tiny two bedroom house and did not
get inside plumbing until 1960 - and
we were NEVER considered poor. In fact, flush toilets
were considered a luxury in our community and many of
our friends and extended family members in rural Maine
"enjoyed" the same "rustic comforts" well into the late
sL'{ties. In my case, my parents placed a higher priority on
paying off the mortgage than on having creature comforts.
But times have changed. The socio-economic standard
has risen, and so has the definition of what it means to be
poor.
This relativistic approach to defining the terms hinders our
understanding of the Biblical perspective on wealth and
prosperity in several ways. First, the "poor" in America
are NOT like the poor in Africa where the extremes of
wealth and poverty are much greater. In Africa, the poor
are literally destitute, wearing cast off rags, living in shacks
made of packing cases, often with no access to clean water
or electricity, and literally on the verge of starvation. They
have a saying there - "Corn is king." There are so many
Africans unable to obtain even the barest necessities that
whoever controls the corn supply - the major source
of food - controls the nation. I am sure you have seen
the pictures of their children's bellies swollen from
malnutrition (usually as an attempt to make you want to
support some charitable organization).
But you very seldom, if ever, see such sights among the
"poor" in America. The vast majority of Americans living
below the "poverty line" have electricity, running water,
inside toilets, and televisions, not to mention full stomachs.
Many of them have cars. Their children get an education,
even through college, if desired. Surely everyone has wised
up to the "will work for food" carriers on every freeway on-
ramp? \Ve used to have a requirement that every potential
deacon, as a part of his training, would find such a person
and offer them some work for a day's food (yard work, light
cleaning, etc.). In the five years we had this requirement,
NEVER ONCE did any of these people EVER take us
up on the offer. To d1e contrary, our deacons were cussed
at, had signs thrown at them and even threatened with
physical harm for offering work. The signs were simply a
scam, purely for advertising purposes
to justify begging. And some research
has indicated that a good location,
and the right appearance can make
a man a couple of hundred dollars
a day, tax free! I once saw a sign in
Bend Oregon dut said, "Who Am I
Kidding; I Just Want Some Money
for Beer." I was almost tempted to
give the guy a couple of bucks just
because at least he was being honest!
In fact, when you do find destitute poverty in America,
the "victims" usually fall into one of three categories;
(1) drunks and drug addicts, (2) chemically imbalanced
individuals who will not stay on their medication, and (3)
teenagers who run away from home to live on the street.
Of course, the people who need medication are legitimate
candidates for the tide "poor," as we shall see shortly (a
significant number of the "homeless" in America were
made that way by the closing of the institutions in which
they once were kept precisely BECAUSE they were not
responsible enough to stay on their medication without
supervision). But on the other hand, both the chemically
addicted and the street teens have clearly made lifestyle
choices that have caused their poverty. In other words,
they are destitute because they are unwilling to make the
changes necessary to provide for their basic necessities.
A second problem with defining "poor" in a relativistic
way is that we tend to unconsciously impose out own
theCOUNSELofCHALCEDON 11
. ,
i
Resto/illg Ch/istial1 Tf7ealth: Comillg to Terms
meaning on Biblical categories, thus missing what God is
really saying about the issue. Thus, the Bible defines poverty
far differendy than modern social workers. The Aposde Paul
says that Christians are to be content with food and covering
(1 Tim 6:8). Therefore, the true definition of poverty is
when one cannot provide either of these basic necessities
for himself or his family. A necessity is just that, something
without which you cannot survive. In Scripture, the poor are
those who would starve or freeze without assistance, not just
those having a lower than average income (let alone those
who simply cannot afford a 36" TV, better cars, or for their
kids to go to a good college).
However, just lacking necessities does not necessarily qualify
a person in Scripture as being "poor." The Aposde Paul is
clear that "if a man will not work, neither let him eat" (2
Thess 3:10). Those who CAN work, but WON'T work (or
whose work is contrary to God's ways), are not poor, but
something else. The Book of Proverbs calls such people
"fools" and "sluggards," and they are to be treated differendy
than the poor. Both the "poor" and the "fool" might be
hungry and naked, but we are obligated to help only the
poor. We are to allow the fool to experience the pain of his
own folly until he changes his ways.
So, there it is. The Bible defines a "poor" person as someone
who finds himself without the necessities of life through no
fault of his own. Perhaps God sent a hailstorm that destroyed
his crops, or a drought that caused a marginal piece of land
to provide even less yield than usuaL Maybe an invading
army came through and took all of his livestock or thieves
ransacked his house and stole his property. It could be that
he was sick or injured and could not work Maybe a father
died and now his widow and orphaned children are unable to
provide for themselves. In other words, Biblically speaking, a
man is to be considered poor when he lacks food or covering
DESPITE his best efforts to the contrary.
Today, applying the biblical definition, a man who loses his
factory job because the plant closed down and there are no
other industries in town to provide work could qualify as
poor. A woman left destitute because her husband abandons
her and her children could fit the definition of poor. Certainly,
some widows and orphans could be considered among the
poor. And therefore, such people have a legitimate claim to
the generosity, love and charity of the covenant community .
We are not to take advantage of that person's plight and
oppress him, or steal from him, or neglect him lest we incur
God's wrath and be impoverished ourselves (pvbs 22:16).
A "fool," on the other hand, is in dire economic straits because
of his refusal to live according to God's commandments
and principles. In Proverbs, a fool is NOT someone on the
12 lhe COUNSEL of CHALCEDON
wrong side of the intellectual bell curve, but someone who
consistendy and stubbornly refuses to live in a godly manner.
"Folly" is a moral problem, not an intellectual one - "the fool
has said ill his heart, 'there is /10 God. !I, Thus, he thinks he can
live his life based on his own standards, rather than God's, as
autonomous man. He "despises" wisdom and knowledge (1:
7). He is "wise in his own eyes" (26:12) and therefore does
not seek nor does he take counsel from others. He is more
concerned about "speaking his mind" than learning (18:2).
His hatred of wisdom and refusal to submit to God's Law
has direct consequences on his socio-economic situation.
For example, a young man who addicts himself to drugs and
thus cannot hold down a job is not "poor" but a "fooL" A
young woman who gives herself sexually to a man and gets
pregnant, only to be abandoned by the father of her child,
may be economically destitute, yet the Bible would not call
her "poor." Instead, it would show her as forced to live
with the consequences of her folly. A man who spends his
paycheck on buying lottery tickets in the hope of winning
the jackpot has more than just a problem with basic statistics
- he is expressing a religious faith in the nature of the world.
A man living in defiance of God's principles of living debt-
free, who racks up incredible consumer debt on his credit
cards and then goes bankrupt and loses everything, is not
one of d1e poor, but rather one of the fools.
Such people try to live contrary to God's Law, and make
foolish choices, the consequences of which lead to personal,
familial and economic destitution. Furthermore, because
the fool is opposed to God's principles and wants to live
autonomously, his problem is not merely that he makes
BAD decisions: he is in fact rendered unable to make good
decisions that maximize his assets and improve his economic
situation.
Though we will discuss this more in a bit, we must understand
that the world works the way it does because it was created to
reflect God's glory and nature. There is order and symmetry
in the world. There are principles of cause and effect
because creation mirrors the unchanging attributes of a
personal Creator. To live successfully, and prosperously, we
must understand God's nature, and conform our actions to
the way things are, rather than the way we think they ought
to be.
For example, as I write this, I am trying to grow grass on
a barren yard. But if I want to enjoy a rich green yard next
year, I have to do more than throw out some seed and "hope
for the best." Grass grows in a certain way, in conformity to
certain physical principles God has built into the very nature
of Creation. If you want the grass to grow, you must plant
the seed and keep it moist until it germinates. The soil must
RestOJing Ch,istian U
7
ealth: Coming to Terms
have nutrients, and the temperature must be warm enough
so that the seeds will sprout. Plant the seed too deep and the
sprout will never make it to the surface. Plant it too shallow
and watering it will wash away the seed. Fail to keep it moist
and the seed will not germinate. Plant the seed too early and
a late frost may kill the sprout. Plant it too late and an early
one might do the same. Over-water it and the seed may rot.
All the best intentions in the world will not help you if you
violate certain fundamental principles. You either plant grass
according to the way that God has designed His creation to
work, or you end up with mud and weeds.
In the same way, our lives must be lived wholly and
completely in accordance with God's ways if we want any
kind of prosperity. Wisdom here means understanding the
way that God's creation works, and then acting accordingly.
In one sense, it is just what an inventor does; he studies the
way things work in the "real" world, and then figures out a
new means to take advantage of those principles in order
to create a device that does something new. But, if he acts
contrary to God's creation, he makes a fool of himself. The
19
th
century saw quite a number of attempts
might have borne more fruit. Thus, your efforts were not
wise because they were not in accordance with the way that
God governs His creation.
Now you are saying to me, "But I am not THAT stupid!" I
am sure you are not. However, I have a known a number
of men who did not do their homework to determine if a
business venture was really worth the investment of their
time and energy and so wasted precious, limited resources
on failed attempts that eventually impoverished them. For
example, "George" was a Christian man who believed he
could become financially independent by investing in rental
properties. He picked up a number of properties dirt cheap,
and then with a little "sweat equity" (which we will talk more
about later) turned dilapidated slums into reasonably nice
apartments. Of course, he did not have the capital up front
to buy the apartments outright, so he had to borrow money
from the bank. But he was convinced that the money taken
in from rent would not only payoff the mortgages (and cost
of improvements), but give him a healthy profit each month
as well. "George" literally rubbed his hands in anticipation
of the "cash cow" he had created.
to create a "perpetual motion" engine which
would, once started, run forever. Such
attempts were always doomed, because
men did not understand (or simply ignored)
certain fundamental laws of physics. But
their ignorance (or in some cases chicanery)
did not stop some from spending their lives
trying to invent such a machine, nor others
from investing in them.
[God) promises to
bless those who
seek wisdom and
curse those who
refuse it.
Unfortunately, "George" couldn't do math
very well and miscalculated how much rent
he would have to charge in order to pay
all the bills. He also did not do sufficient
research to determine the market value of
the rentals in the lower class communities
his apartments were located in. In order to
Only God is infinite; all men have limited
time and resources. Investing limited time and resources
in one area means not having them available for another.
Investing them contrary to the way God has ordained
creation to operate therefore wastes precious, limited assets.
For example, say you want to be an oil magnate. Watching
reruns of the Beverly Hillbillies has convinced you that if
Jed Clampett can become a millionaire, so can you. Thus,
you decide to drill for oil in your back yard. Now drilling
equipment, and the trained technicians needed to operate it,
takes a considerable upfront investment. But the potential
rewards are enormous, so you decide to take the risk. To
finance the project, you take out a second mortgage, get all
your family and friends to loan you money and VOlIA; you
find oil, right? Well, not if there is no oil in your backyard. Oil
tends to be found in certain types of geological formations.
If your land isn't the right kind of land, no matter how hard
you try, or how much money you spend, or how fervendy
you pray, you will NOT find oil. And because you have
invested everything you had in THIS endeavor, you do not
have those resources to invest in OTHER endeavors that
pay the mortgages, he had to raise the rents,
beyond the price that most people wanted
to pay to live in those areas; thus, he had a
recurring problem finding tenants. Furthermore, he failed to
appreciate the kind of tenants he most likely Ivo/lld find in
economically depressed areas. The tenants routinely trashed
his apartments, and then skipped out of several months' rent.
Politics being the way they are these days, he found it almost
impossible to evict tenants who refused to pay their rent
while destroying his property. In order to pay the mortgages
every month, "George" found himself working two and
three jobs just to make ends meet. He ended up bankrupt
because he did not do his homework carefully enough and
consider all the options.
Wisdom in one sense is learning how God governs His
creation so that we can harness our limited time, energy and
resources most effectively for His glory and Kingdom. He
promises to bless those who seek wisdom and curse those
who refuse it. "George" not only lacked wisdom, he refused
it. When friends tried to sit down with him and explain why
his "plan" was going to fail, he would not listen. He became
angry and embittered against his brothers in Christ because,
the COUNSEL ofCHALCEDON 13
ReStOl711g Cbl7stiall Wealtb: Comillg to Te!'lllS
"You are trying to destroy my dream!" \Vell, his dream
became his family's nightmare until God finally put a stop to
it by taking EVERYTHING away.
How does God make wisdom available to us? God does give
us some wisdom through natural revelation. Solomon says,
"Go to tbe alit ... "(6:6). Even sinful men can learn SOME things
about God by diligendy observing the creation, even if they
deny the Creator. There is a doctrine called "common grace"
which refers to the grace God gives to all men (as opposed
to dle grace He gives only to the righteous). God causes the
rain to fall and ilie sun to shine on both dle righteous and the
unrighteous. And since ilie principles of prosperity are built
into ilie very fabric of creation, occasionally men can find
wisdom and prosperity iliis way. I would argue that, in our
day, ungodly men who succeed in spite of any knowledge
of God's word are borrowing from two thousand years of
acquired wisdom handed down by Christian influences in our
culture. \'Vhether iliey realize it or not, admit it or not, iliey
are living on borrowed intellectual capital. However, Romans
1:20ff is clear dlat eventually God will curse rebellious men.
Thus, over ilie long term, they cannot sustain their prosperity
(remember, "tbe JJJealtb of tbe JJJieked is laid liP for tbe ligbteolls, "
Pr.13:22).
But most importandy, we learn wisdom ilirough God's
word, ilie Bible. God's word is given as the clear, sufficient,
necessary, and authoritative revelation of God's will for
our lives. It is in Scripture that God Himself promises
to enlighten our eyes and make our paths straight. As we
meditate on and study His character, nature, and attributes as
revealed in Scripture, we can then relate these to the natural
world around us. And in so doing, we can subdue dle earth
for His glory.
A fool will have none of iliat. The world must conform
to HIS way of looking at things because, at ilie root of
his being, he is in rebellion to God, and wants to be God
(Gen 3:5). Paul puts it this way in Romans, (2)rofessillg to be
JJJire, tbey betallle fools" (Rms 1:22). Autonomous man insists
that dle world must operate according to his belief structure,
and therefore makes a fool of himself (often using your tax
dollars to subsidize his folly). The ancient Egyptians thought
rubbing fresh wounds with horse manure would help healing.
They didn't catch on to the truth even when tetanus and
gangrene claimed iliousands of lives. Medieval doctors,
basing their medical practices on Greek philosophy, thought
most diseases were caused by imbalance of the blood and
bled the sick, often killing them in the process.
And the ancients were not the only ones to live in folly. As I
write iliis, California is suffering rolling blackouts caused by
14 the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON
a severe power shortage. Apparendy, unbiblical and ilierefore
untrue environmental beliefs led to a gap in building new
power plants for over a decade. The green minded political
leaders believed that conservation would not only provide
for all the state's power needs, but save the environment as
well. However, ilie population grew, high tech businesses
expanded, and conservation was no substitute for ilie
increased demand for electricity. Yet, they refused to build
more power plants because of ilieir fundamental a PliOli
presuppositions about the "dangers" of economic growili
and the "value" of conservation. As a result, the entire
state is now literally (not to mention, metaphorically), "in
ilie dark." Their religious beliefs about the world led them
to act foolishly and contrary to the way creation is actually
governed.
Now, getting back on track, if poverty can be defined as
anything less than the possession of basic food and covering,
wealth can be understood as anything ABOVE iliat. \'\7ealth
allows a man to feed his family on meat as well as grain,
to give them wine as well as water, to give dlem oil with
their bread (cf. Pvbs 3:9-10). The wealiliy man can own a
larger house, wiili better furnishings and comforts, which
actually can make him more productive, and thus even more
prosperous. I do a lot of work in front of a desk (much of
it these days on the computer). For years, because we were
living very frugally, my only chair was a folding one that
crippled my back after just a few hours of work. However, as
ilie years passed, and God blessed us widl increasing material
prosperity, I could afford a proper office chair with lumbar
support. It is even made of leather (which keeps me from
sticking to it during ilie summer). My productivity has more
than tripled simply because I can now afford what had once
been considered a luxury.
In the same way, because a wealthy man has more ilian just
the basic necessities, he can then divert some of his assets
to create more wealth. He can, for example: invest in ilie
purchase of more land; hire more laborers (perhaps some of
those poor folks we talked about earlier); provide funding for
new businesses; store up for his old age, when he may be less
able to work, so that he is not a burden on his children; etc.
Furthermore, wealth allows him to give his children a better
education not only in quality, but also in extent. A wealiliy
man can afford to let his children stay in school longer, an
absolute necessity for some callings, which in turn improves
ilieir own long-term financial situation. Furthermore, he has
the assets to help them fund THEIR vocational endeavors;
for example by supporting iliem with the basic necessities
while they start their own businesses; which in turn frees
even MORE capital that they can then use to invest and
improve their economic situation.
RestOlillg Ch,istiall lf7ealth: CO/Jlillg to Terllls
Finally and most importantly, wealth allows Christians to
finance the extension of God's I<:::ingdom. Never forget
that Biblical Christianity built the first hospitals, orphanages,
charities, schools and universities. Wealth allows us to send
out more missionaries and "do good to all men" (Gal 6:10).
Wealth allows us more opportunities to "lay up our treasures
in heaven" by demonstrating through godly charity the grace
that God gave us in salvation (Matt 6:19ff). When all is said
and done, there are a lot of benefits to being wealthy and
significant advantages to having more than just enough to
"get by."
Now a wealthy person is often considered "rich" by the
world's standards merely because he has an abundance
of material possessions. But true Biblical wealth is more
than mere possession; there are those who may have great
riches who are yet fools (Lk 12:13-34). As the old saying
goes, "Money will not buy you happiness" and as I add,
"it can only make your misery more comfortable." Clearly,
Christians have always recognized that there is a wealth that
lasts beyond this lifetime, stored up for us where the thief
blessings of this life that endure from generation to
generation, AS WEll as the kind that endure forever (pr. 3:
16,8:18,11:28,13:11,22).
This is perhaps one of the most controversial themes of this
book; but the fact is, many modern evangelical Christians do
not seem to understand that wealth, properly gained, wisely
used and generously shared, is a good thing they ought to
pursue. Now granted, there are many dedicated Christians
who have callings that are not well-supported in this present
age. The best Christian ministers, missionaries and school
teachers often have a heart to serve God in a particular field
where their hopes for "wealth" are indeed limited. Many such
people actually sacrifice much for the honor of advancing
the I<:::ingdom. However, isn't the REAL problem that the
broader Christian community undervalues their labors for
Christ? The Apostle Paul was a tent-maker and was rightly
"proud" that he did not depend upon men for his living, BUT
he specifically taught tllat Christians had a duty to support
Christian workers (1 Cor 9:4-14), and generously! The fact
that some men have such a commitment to proclaiming the
cannot steal, nor vermin destroy (Matt 6:
10-20). And just as clearly, Christians ought
to focus primarily on developing this kind
of wealth by living in humble obedience to
Christ, sharing His gospel and ministering to
the saints. In God's providence, not all of us
may achieve great financial blessing in our
present lives: perhaps we started off with
no initial capital; perhaps in His sovereignty
we were afflicted in various ways; or it could
be that God chose for reasons which seem
Many Christians do
not seem to under-
stand that wealth,
glories of Christ that they willingly sacrifice
their own abilities to obtain lawful wealth is
no justification for the rest of us to "keep
them poor so we can keep them honest."
properly gained,
wisely used and
generously shared is
a good thing ...
Yet many Christians do not seem to
understand the relationship between their
values, beliefs and behaviors, and their
economic situation. Some Christians seem
to believe that wealth and prosperity are just
an accident of situation; some people are
good to Him NOT to make us "wealthy" as
the world counts such things.
And, also in God's providence, tllose who live foolishly
according to their own wisdom, as if they were autonomous,
will face poverty in the day of judgment, having not stored
up any treasures in heaven because they did not have God's
Spirit on earth. Any material wealth they stored up on
earth will not last either, since the wealth of the wicked is
stored up for the righteous (Pr. 13:22). How many times
has history seen materially wealthy families whose children
squander their inheritance or run their inherited businesses
into tlle ground. Materially wealthy fools are not considered
biblically "rich" any more than materially needy fools are
considered biblically "poor."
Yet the simple, clear, and undoubted Biblical promise is
that if we live wisely and humbly before God, ordering our
lives according to His principles, then over time (sometimes
generations), and in spite of hard times (sometimes
generations), we will obtain BOTH kinds of riches; the
rich, others are poor and we can do nothing
much to change the situation (and we can always have some
of the same things the rich have because of the miracle
of plastic debt!). Other Christians look at their desperate
economic situation and see their "poverty" as something
to take pride in! They JUSTIFY their poverty by "super-
spiritualizing" all these principles; "if I am poor, I must be
holy!" Now it is one thing to be destitute because God in
His sovereignty allows hard times to come into our lives to
shape and mold us into the image of His Son Jesus (Rms 8:
29). It is something far different if prosperity is just sitting
there, waiting for us to find it, and we ignore it! Perhaps we
suffer from some form of asceticism, believing that riches
and material things are "evil." Or maybe we are just lazy. At
the very least, we are ignorant of God's word.
Think about this; the ONLY use for crude oil in the
Roman Empire was a tiny market as an ingredient for some
medicines. They could not use it for heat or cooking because
they did not know how to properly vent the noxious gases.
They never distilled oil to form gasoline, kerosene, or diesel
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 15
Restoring Chtistiall Wealth: Comillg to Terms
or other fuels for they lacked the metallurgy to create the
engines that could burn it. They never imagined breaking
it down and making it into plastics. There was an entire
petrochemical industry literally sitting under their noses, but
they never even imagined the possibilities. Now what if God
is offering His people similar opportunities, but because we
lack the wisdom, we see them only as noxious substances
that stain our clothes and offend our noses?
There is no doubt that we are to be content with food and
covering; and ({colitelltlJlel1t }vith godlil/ess is of great gaill!J (1 Tim
6:6). But there is a difference between contentment and
complacency. Many Christians do not seem to grasp that
their lack of economic progress results not only in limiting
their own options, but also in restricting the opportunities of
their children, and therefore the spread of the Kingdom. A
man can only do so much in this life. Much must be left to
his godly descendants to carryon. Passing down a physical
inheritance to children committed to extending the kingdom
means that we can make a long-term investment in extending
God's work. Increasing wealth generation by generation
means more and better Christian schools, more missionaries,
more Christian hospitals, more charitable organizations; in
short more opportunities to minister to others. Wealth is
not an end in and of itself (Lk 12:13-34), but a means - the
meanS of bringing the whole earth in submission to God (cf.
Matt 28:19-20).
Now, of course, there is nothing wrong with being working
class. The work is honorable, and God can and does use
manual labor to provide for Christian families. But many
Christians who are called to working class vocations
could be much more prosperous if they but understood
wealth biblically. If they are working in their vocation with
confidence that they are called to it by God and producing
absolutely all the income they are capable of producing in
that field, well then they are blessed and should be content.
In fact, they are "wealthy" in that they have more than mere
food and covering. Those who are called to working class
vocations ought to stand head and shoulders above all
others in their field, being singled out for their diligence
and stewardship (Col 3:23). They should be innovators in
their fields, coming up with new and better ways to be more
productive on behalf of their employers. They should work
circles around their worldly co-workers. They should love
what they do and go to bed at night thanking God for what
He's given them to do. They should be entirely satisfied with
the provision He makes through their work, or be willing to
work a second job, just to have the privilege of doing what
He's given them to do.
But often Christians working in lesser paying jobs are not
operating in their calling from God. Indications of dus
16 (he COUNSEL of CHALCEDON
would include dissatisfaction, longing for or even coveting
things they cannot have, feeling "stuck" in their job, not
being able to pay all the bills, living paycheck to paycheck,
or feeling that they don't have the ability to provide all that
they wish for their families. When God gives a man a calling,
He gives with it contentment and joy in the work and the
ability to live within the means provided by that work. Why
are so many Christians satisfied with living on the edge? Or
if they are DISSATISFIED, why are they unable to make
the changes necessary to either reduce their consumption
or to increase their prosperity? The point here is that many
Christians are capable of doing and being much more and
extending their influence much further than they do, either
within their current calling, or by understanding that they
are in the wrong calling and making necessary changes. But
because they are satisfied with too little, or too lazy to escape
from their position in life, or simply insisting on living life
according to their own rules, they squander the gifts God
has given them.
Even those called to the working class should expect, over
time, monetary and career advancement by God's blessing.
They should still expect to be, over time, ahead of their
worldly counterparts through a combination of financial
reward from their satisfied employers and Godly frugality in
their lifestyles. Many working class people, living by God's
financial principles, are in far better financial positions than
those with higher paying jobs who squander their money on
consumption and play.
With that said, I yet maintain that, with all the advantages
of wealth, (i.e., the greater opportunities, and the greater
potential for dominion, not to mention the greater degree
of just plain comfort), Christians should desire a measure of
financial success.
Now, is this fair? Are we saying that everyone can or should
be "rich?" Well, no, there will always be economic differences
between people because of the scarcity God built into the
world. And as a result, some things are always going to be
valued more than other d1ings, including human skills. God
gifts men differently. If you have skills that are highly valued,
then you can become more prosperous than someone
,vithout those skills. Obviously, some people are just plain
smarter than others, more talented, more astute, or with
abilities that are more in demand and therefore they can
usually expect to receive higher incomes than average.
For example, doctors make more money than factory workers,
because not everyone can become a doctor, there are fewer
of them, and their services are in universal demand. It takes
a certain IQ and years of hard, diligent study to master the
skills necessary to become a physician. It also requires a
fuston"lg Ch,istiew Tf7ealth: Coming to Terms
considerable financial investment to get that education, an
investment that must payoff in higher wages later on down
the line. Factory workers however, generally speaking, do not
need an advanced education, do not have to wait years to
start earning income since they can be trained fairly quicldy
on-the-job, and for the most part, working on an assembly
line does not require as complex a skill set as a physician
needs. Therefore since the skills required to become a doctor
are less common than those for a factory worker, there are
potentially far more people competing for the assembly line
job, than there are for entrance into medical schools (though
the medical establishment restricts the number of schools
and students for their own reasons). Where there is more
competition for jobs, wages go down. And, where there is
more demand for a particular skill set, wages go up. Thus
doctors, who are needed by nearly everyone, demand higher
fees from this angle as well.
The point is that not everyone could become a doctor, even
if they really, really wanted to, and tried really, really, hard,
and every day closed their eyes and visualized themselves
starring on ER. Some people just simply aren't able, because
God hasn't given them the ability, to be doctors. And the
same is true of many other fields. Not only are particular
levels of intelligence needed, and various levels of financial
investment, but also suitable temperaments and desire on
the part of the candidates. Therefore, there will always be
a disparity of economic achievement because people are
different (and God created them that way on purpose).
However, there is another factor here, as time goes on, and
as people apply God's principles, EVERYONE benefits. The
rich may get richer, but in a godly society, the wealth flows
throughout the entire culture raising the economic situation
of everyone. The real income of the average laborer has
increased many-fold in the past hundred years. Everyworking
American can enjoy things today that just a few decades ago
would be considered luxuries. I remember a story from my
youth of a Roman Emperor who had a series of stations
set up where ice from the Alps could be brought to cool his
drinks during the hot summers. Now, EVERYONE can have
ice, on demand! Things have changed haven't they?
But going back for a second, what about the man who
COULD be a doctor (i.e., he has the intelligence, personal
skills, and temperament necessary) but instead restricts
himself to working at a factory? Is the factory job really
the best way for this person to invest his life? Is he being a
good steward with the gifts which God has given him? What
about the man who COULD make $200,000 a year, but
instead settles for $20,000, even though God has not clearly
called him to do so and he is not providentially hindered
from improving himself? And yes, many Christians make
just this decision. We'll explore this in more detail later.
Apart from basic ability, there are other reasons why
Christians live just on the cusp of prosperity, but never really
make it over the edge and the reasons are clearly delineated
in the Proverbs. Apart from God's sovereign intervention,
which must be humbly accepted, Christians over the long
term ought to experience increasing economic prosperity
in whatever vocational calling God has placed them.
Furthermore, if believers DO find themselves struggling
just to make ends meet, their financial distress may be
because they are unwittingly (or otherwise) violating specific
principles of God's word. It is NOT that wealth is easy or
simple to obtain, or that everyone can be "rich" (which many
people think of as living a life of indolent ease, with every
whim being gratified). Nor am I contravening Paul's warning
about people ~ v h o lvant to get lich ill this life" (the reason for
that warning will become clear later). But instead, generally
speaking, there is a relationship between wise living and
economic prosperity: if we lack the one, it usually explains
why we are missing the other.
Therefore, let us meditate on a brief survey of the most
relevant Proverbs on prosperity and poverty, and then see
how they apply to our real world living experience. Careful
attention here to the principles God has built into the very
structure of His creation just might help us to understand
our present financial situation, and provide the means to
improve it. By understanding the terms "poor" and "rich,"
"wealth" and "poverty," the way God has defined them, we
are in a position to move on with our study in "Restoring
Christian Wealth."
Proverbs for Further Consideration:
11:15 'The lich mall's }vealth is his fortress, the rliin of the poor is
theirpoverty. "
10:22 lilt is the blessillg of the Lord that makes lich, and He adds 110
sorro}v to it. "
22:7 'The lich mles over the pOO/; alld the borrOlJJer becomes the lender's
slave. "
23:4-5 liDo IIOt }veary YOIII:selj to gaill }vealth, cease from YOHr
cOllsideration of it. rVheJJ YOII set YOII,. ryes all it, it is galle. For
}vealth ce11aill/y makes itself }villgs, like all eagle that flies tOlvard the
heaven. "
Rev. Brian M. Abshire, (B. A., M. A., Th.M., Ph.D.) lives
in Spokane, WA where he pastors Highlands Reformed
Presbyterian Church. He has been married to Elaine for
24 years and has six children.
the COUNSEL ofCHALCEDON 17