Ill-Gotten Wealth

A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. (Psalm 37:16)


Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith. (Proverbs 15:16)

These are only signs of the times when it comes to matters of money and material wealth. The Bible says that if one has very little money and is righteous, it is better than all the wealth amassed by a wicked person. The association is loose, but I feel that righteousness and monetary wealth do not always go hand in hand, so do not be afraid to go down the path of what is good and holy though its material rewards are not as great, for ill-gotten wealth is far more trouble than one could ever imagine.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. (Psalm 9:18)

This is in light of one of Jesus's messages to his disciples when he talks of birds: "look, they do not worry and yet my father feeds and cares for them." Likewise, those lacking or without wealth should also relax and realize that in nature, God cares for all of His creatures - how much more for the humans? Truly, the poor may be downtrodden and overlooked at times, but the Bible reminds us that their needs are just as important, to be fulfilled by God directly and also by God through the hands of other people with more well-to-do means.

Being wealthy or well-off is not a bad thing... just remember that it is also a duty to help fulfill the teachings of the Bible in any way that we can. As a person blessed with moderate to lavish riches, remember the needs of the poor and help fulfill God's promise through your own hands and your own actions.