do not have much in the way of money, but I would consider myself one of the richest men around. Why? Because I have Christ in my life, I have a few friends and a few months ago, met a few more. I also have a physical family, though I am single, never married and both parents have died.
True riches do not consist in the abundance of things. The truest riches are better than silver, gold or any other kind of money.
“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.” Prov. 11:24
“The liberal soul, it shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” Prov. 11:25
“He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shallbe upon the head of him that selleth it”
“He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but righteousness shall flourish as a branch” Prov. 11:28
“There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.” Prov. 13:7
“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” Prov. 15:17
“How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!” Prov. 16:16
“Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool.” Prov. 19:1
These scriptures for the most part, seem to me, to refer to attitude, it’s not wrong to have money, not every one who has a lot of money got in a dishonest way, but many did. It’s also not wrong to be poor and in some ways it can be better than having a lot of money. Integrity is better than money (Prov. 19:1), wisdom is better than money, understanding is better than money (Prov. 16:16), if love is present a meal made up of nothing but herbs like basil and lemon grass is better than a freezer full of Angus steak.
But I really like Prov. 13:7 “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.” Prov. 13:7. You can a lot of money and not have anything, but you can also have nearly no money and have the greatest riches in the world, riches like Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, love from family and friends. Peace of mind, few if any worries.
That is currently the position I am in, I currently have very little in the way of money, I make less than a lot of other people, including other poor people, but I have Jesus Christ as my Saviour, I have the love of my church family and some of them have become my friends. I have the love, though sometimes I strongly disagree with some things they tell me, of my sister, my nephew and my nieces-that is part of my natural born family. My sister’s husband’s family have sort of adopted me and made me part of their family. And while it’s nice to have money, the love of God and these people God has graciously allowed to meet is more important than anything. It is their love and their friendship and their caring that makes me the richest man in my county and I Thank God for them.