James 5: 1-6… An attitude to riches.

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

Comment: It is reported that John Wesley said ‘Earn as much as you can, give away what you can, save what you can. He is also reported to have said –

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

The above passage from James, proverbial in manner, is against an attitude to wealth not to riches themselves. Remember it is related to our integrity and honesty and duties.

• If you are irresponsible you will be judged.
• You cannot take it with you, and it might all be lost in a stock-market crash!
• Think about those you have cheated. Their cries have reached to God’s ears, and He has heard them.
• As a shepherd you have eaten, not fed, the sheep under your care!
• Your greed has ‘slaughtered’ the righteous, you have murdered their industriousness.

Prayer: If the above measures are in me in any way, O God, help my repentance to be much more than mere words!