James 1:9-10 “Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation – since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.”
James, the brother of Jesus, is speaking terms that seem contradictory. Most of this brief discourse has to do with the rich person who wants attention drawn to his temporary riches. The poor Christian knows his exalted position in Christ and understands the certainty of fabulous riches in heaven. His poverty is but a temporary inconvenience.
Principle: The poor have the advantage over the rich. Business cycles may enable the same person to experience both poverty and riches and learn something from them both.
The world system teaches that financial success, power, and favor from high position in life is to be attained, while poverty is to be avoided. God’s view is quite the opposite.
James Cash Penney is an example of a businessman who went through both – poverty to riches to poverty and back to riches and did it all well. In 1907, Penney launched department stores, losing them all in 1929. As a crushed and broken businessman at age fifty-six, he started afresh with newfound faith in God and by 1951, his chain of stores was in every state with sales that surpassed $1 billion a year. His faith was vital and being broke taught him the valuable lessons of poverty and the true perspective on riches.
My inner-city friend, Thomas Ferguson, was poor, and he was from a poor family. In the years we would get together he would possess fewer dollars than he had brothers and sisters – twenty. It never occurred to him that he was broke. He enjoyed his position in Christ and was as generous as he could be with what he had. One time I had just handed him a couple of ten-dollar bills so that he could get eat for a couple of days and while I was standing there with him Thomas gave one of the ten-dollar bills away to a stranger passing by the house who needed it more than he did.
Eventually he learned a trade, earned a good wage as a longshoreman, and as far as I know is still giving money away to whoever needs it more than he does. I think Brother James had a “Thomas Ferguson” in mind when he wrote his letter.
Discussion:
1. Recall a financially poor Christian you have known who seemed totally content.
2. Looking back on your own life cycles, was there a time when you were poor but satisfied? Describe what you learned from that.
