Rich People

What does that mean, anyway? How much money qualifies us as 'rich'? Can a believer have too much?

I like to be frugal. Sometimes I feel bad spending money on myself. For instance, today I am going to the hairdresser and getting my once-every-four-month hair cut and some highlights (although sometimes I suspect the real motivation for my appointment is for the two hours of quiet and the cups of herb tea made by someone other than myself) I can afford it. I'm paying cash for it. I cut all the men's hair in my family myself to save money. My husband encourages me to do it...But I still don't like spending money on me. That is the mindset I am coming from.

Sometime just before Christmas, I realized that even though I wasn't saying anything to anybody about it, I was copping an attitude about people that had a lot of money and spent money on what I would call frivolous things or houses that rival the taj mahal. I live in a sort of weird area. There are some people with not a whole lot, but this is also the county where most of the auto executives live, many Detroit's professional athletes reside, and all the money that comes along with those professions. As well as my financially-middle-of-the-road friends, I have some friends that are loaded, or rather LOADED. I have acquaintences that are so rich it would make your head spin. Houses with 7 bathrooms. Indoor pool. Private club memberships. You name it.

I caught myself once (okay, lots more than once) thinking, "how can they spend money on that kind of stuff", or "I'm glad we don't spend money on nonsense like that", or any of several variations on that theme---kind of righteously indignant at their 'wastefulness'. Reality is that some of these people are believers that God has chosen to bless financially for one reason or another. Should I sit here and judge what they should and shouldn't do with their money? I know some of these people very well and know just the tip of the iceberg of how amazingly generous they are with their money. I know of times when they give like crazy and no one even knows. I've seen them give cars to people in need with not even a thank you. I've watched them opening their homes constantly to those around them who didn't have a place to go. There are more of these folks that I don't know as well and I have no place even thinking about their money choices. I don't know where their money goes because the right hand shouldn't know what the left hand is doing when it comes to giving. The Lord knows and that is enough.

Reality is, most people on this planet would look at what I have and think I am living like royalty. When Jim and I were first married, we used to have international students in from the University nearby. We had some kids from Beijing over to our little barely-furnished apartment, and the first thing they did was take pictures of our bed. They couldn't believe that a young couple would actually have their own 'large' bedroom like that in their own apartment. They thought it was just over-the-top. I suppose if we don't want to be judged for the relative wealth most of us have in the developed world, we best be careful how we look at what others have been given.

So I guess I'm just making a confession here about being somewhat judgemental from time to time. Not only should I be content with the station God has chosen for me in this life, I should not condemn others (verbally or just in my thoughts) for the lifestyle God has chosen for them. I probably will never be in a situation where I will influence or evangelize the very wealthy in this world, but those to whom God has given vast wealth just might.

Often we think the wealthy look down their noses at the rest of us, when oftentimes I think the situation is exactly the opposite. I think the key is that we should all handle our money (whether a mere pittance or a ridiculous abundance) according to biblical standards when it comes to giving, debt, helping others, saving, investing, contentment, and choices regarding our everyday spending. We need to bring all our thoughts and decisions regarding money to the One who owns it all anyway.