Paul writes: ‘Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, Who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share.’ (1 Timothy 6:17–18 NKJV) Are you ‘rich in this present age’? Almost half the world—more than three billion people—lives on less than $4 a day. So if your income is more than that, you’re rich by comparison. But prosperity comes with a warning: don’t be arrogant. ‘Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.’ (Proverbs 16:18 NIV) The Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle wrote, ‘Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man. But for one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity.’ God wants you to enjoy things without becoming obsessed with them. Accumulating possessions has a way of eclipsing God, no matter how meagre they may be. There’s a predictable progression from poverty to pride. The poor man prays and works; God hears and blesses. The humble man becomes rich and forgets God. The faithful poor man becomes the proud rich man. As God said through Hosea, ‘When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot Me.’ How can you avoid this trap? Remember that everything you own comes from God, and He’s the source of everything you’ll need in the future. So live with a grateful heart, and in total dependence on Him.
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