Biblical Financing
There is no doubt that finances can turn into trials as well as temptations. In fact, there comes a time in every person’s life when they will be faced with the trial of want and the trial of plenty. The Bible has many verses dedicated to the handling of finances. The book of Proverbs is filled with it, and there are many who know the warning in Matthew 6 regarding money, “24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matthew 6:24. James also touches on the idea of finances in his Epistle. Today we are going to be looking at James 1:9-12 to see the response to their trial in the rich and the poor man.
“9 Now the brother or sister of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10 but the rich person is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so also the rich person, in the midst of his pursuits, will die out. 12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
James 1:9-12
Verse 9 almost sounds like a contradiction. How can a person of humble or lowly circumstances have a high position? Here James is calling on the persecuted Christian who most likely has lost their home and their material belongings to praise God. As we saw last week, when we face trials we are given an opportunity to grow in the Lord. This passage brings to mind that of the Israelites in the desert. They had been released from their captivity and were told that they would inherit a land of milk and honey. And yet, every step of the way they complained. They complained about the bitter water (Exodus 15:22-24), the lack of food (Exodus 11:4-6), the leadership (Numbers 14:1-3), you name it they complained about it. This is no different than us today who are caught up with “keeping up with the Jones’” we look at those around us and see what they have that we do not, and instead of praising God for what He has given us, we complain. Just like the Israelites, when we spend our time complaining rather than praising, we will not see God’s blessings that He has set before us. Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, we need to focus on what we do have. We are citizens of heaven where every good and precious thing stems from. Do not let your humble situation cause you to take your eyes of the Lord. Instead look around and see what He has blessed you with!
The book of Proverbs has many verses regarding financial advice, however, the verse that comes to mind when reading James 1:9-12 has always been Proverbs 30:7-9. ““Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: 8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” This passage relates to this segment of James because it is showing the two responses that we have when we are faced with trials of want and trials of plenty. We see here that if we face the trial of want with the mentality of grumbling and trying to get more then what God has given us, we dishonor Him. We are not facing the trial with joy like we discussed last week. On the other hand, if we are in a trial of plenty, we run the risk of disowning God and all that He has done for us. This scenario is described in James 1: 10-11.
Where verse 9 sounds like a contradiction, the verses regarding the rich man almost seem harsh. After all, James is describing this man as someone who will wilt during trials. The reason for James is to use this terminology is because when we have plenty, we tend to have the idea that we earned it on our own merit and forget where all good and precious things come from. This is where the trial of plenty comes into play. Unlike during trials of want where we need to rejoice in what God has given us, during trials of plenty we need to humble ourselves to recognize who has given us these blessings.
The reason for the rich man to humble himself can be found in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”” Here we see that the rich man should not boast in his riches but only in that he understands and knows the Lord. For a person to successfully go through a trial of plenty, they need to understand that it has nothing to do with them and everything to do with what God has given them. And just like the flowers and grass described in James 1:10-11, if they unsuccessfully place their riches upon themselves, God can take away what He has given.
With James comparing a rich man verses a poor man in response to what they have been given, it is important to notice one thing. It is not our physical riches that get us through trials, it is our riches in Christ. “6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7. These verse highlight the fact that no matter what our situation may be, we need to glorify God. To praise Him through our trials is the only way that we can succeed in them. The rich man and the poor man are equal in one thing, they both need a Savior. “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.” Proverbs 22:2. To succeed in a financial trial, the Christian needs to remember that our material belongings on earth mean nothing, it is our richness in Christ that has true value. “19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19-20. Yet do not misunderstand what God does. At times He will give you the financial gain, He could very well give you the bonus, the promotion, and a new position that brings with it more financial stability. This does not mean you are sinning or have somehow cheated the system, but God in His all-knowing self has orchestrated something particular for you to have these gifts. Just look at the rich men God has used over the years; Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Solomon, Joseph of Arimathea, women disciples funding Jesus, and many others. All of these people were very rich, yet all would have and at times did give it up to follow God. God will use whomever He wants. It is up to us to recognize what He has given us and use it accordingly. The fact that God places so much emphasis on making sure we understand this indicates that man innately struggles monumentally with this. Instead of looking at others, we should look to Christ; no matter what He has given us, we should be following His guidance and using His blessings to their fullest extent.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex