I will never forget the day that my daughter's sixth grade friend told me that. We had been discussing someone who had recently lost a fortune and had become very bitter as a result. She suddenly piped up with that all knowing scowl that only a twelve year old girl can truly master while proclaiming, "God don't like rich people!" She said it as if it was a mortal sin worthy of an eternity in hell. She immediately made a snap decision from that point forward to dislike the person we'd been talking about. I've met her dad. He's a nice enough guy and from what I can tell, he agrees with his daughter. They are very regular attendees at their church. I don't know what church they go to, but all I could think to myself at the time was, "Who in the world is teaching her that!?"
For my daughter's sake, I bit my tongue. I wanted so badly to quiz her friend and find out the roots of that belief system. How does one logically come to that conclusion? I was under the impression that God was known to shower you with riches if he liked you. Solomon was extremely rich and God liked him. I thought that God's opinion of us had more to do with our character, not our bank account. I could even see that how you amassed your fortune could be important in God's viewpoint. I think about Job and how he was tested to see if money was the reason for his devotion to God. Upon passing the test, didn't God dump piles of money back into his lap again? And what about the father in the prodigal son story? He had money and God liked him.
Just as ridiculous to me are the people who spin it the other way around, as if God don't like poor people. They act like they're closer to God because they have money. Funny thing money, it can buy a lot of things, but I was under the impression that God wasn't for sale. Rumor has it that some churches and individual clergy can be bought, but not God Himself. Nowhere in the bible did I ever read that you could bypass the rules and just pay an entrance fee to get into heaven's gates.
I thought that money was a tool sometimes used for testing us. Do we remain spiritual while humbled and poor or do we become bitter and turn our back on God? Do we remain spiritual while spoiled and rich or do we become self righteous and turn our back on God? And what about the way we treat each other? Does the amount of money we have dictate how much love we are to receive from each other? "Congratulations on that job promotion you worked so hard for, buddy! But hey, you're too rich now, so me and God aren't going to hang out with you anymore."
What a silly concept that money would have anything to do with one's spiritual self-worth. I'm sorry for those children who have been raised to believe that the amount of money they do or do not have dictates whether or not God will like them. Personally, I've raised my kids on the idea that you behave yourself as best you can, and I do mean 'best.' Heed your spiritual calling. Love one another. Everything else will fall into place as it's meant to be. Oh, and be thankful for what you have. God don't like people with bad manners.
Copyright 2004, Skye Thomas, Tomorrow's Edge
About The Author
Skye Thomas began writing books and articles with an everyday practical approach to life in 1999 after twenty years of studying spirituality, metaphysics, astrology, personal growth, motivation, and parenting. After years of high heels and business clothes, she is currently enjoying working from home in her pajamas. Go to www.tomorrowsedge.net to read more of her articles and to get a free preview of one of her books.
licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..Over a number of years there have been issues raised... Read More
Your daughter tells you that Uncle Charley has touched her... Read More
It's been said, time and again, that for a child... Read More
Looking back through my files I've come across several great... Read More
Everyone in a private practice setting who works with children... Read More
Boredom, limited space and overflowing energy are a source of... Read More
Do you ever wonder what is behind the occasional nasty... Read More
The cost of being a parent and raising a child... Read More
In elementary school it's pretty straightforward: bringing in cupcakes to... Read More
Just the other day, I was talking to some other... Read More
Here's some of the bad news about sedentary lifestyles:? Forty... Read More
Early childhood educators have called play "children's work". Many parents... Read More
What's new and effective in the treatment of Attention problems?... Read More
Our children are growing up bilingual in the French part... Read More
Homes should be run by parents, not children. So many... Read More
How many times have you flipped through the pages of... Read More
Sometime the most effective training tool in rapidly accelerating the... Read More
Choosing a good car seat for your child's protection is... Read More
My cousin boasts five names and I confess that when... Read More
Ritalin has been shown through the years to be very... Read More
Chiladult? Whatever you call them, teenagers are a changin' and... Read More
Since so many would rather avoid the use of stimulant... Read More
Teenagers are a work-in-progress, and parenting teenagers can be tricky... Read More
1. New Word of the DayIntroduce your preschooler to a... Read More
1. They can make mistakes under your guidance2. They will... Read More
on demand house cleaning Arlington Heights .."Family Matters" was the headline that caught my attention in... Read More
Are you feeling overwhelmed being a parent? Do you want... Read More
Q. With another school year starting, we are not sure... Read More
All of us, including your child, entered this world equipped... Read More
Think back to your own childhood. Chances are, some of... Read More
We know that you want your little guy or gal... Read More
It's that time again! Parent-teacher conferences are coming. Are you... Read More
Question 1 "How do I get more time to play?"... Read More
For every season, check, check, check, There is a chart,... Read More
"There is nothing new under the sun," states Ecclesiastes 1:9.... Read More
"No thank you. Don't bother to send me the report... Read More
If you were to ask 100 parents why they think... Read More
Unfortunately each year many young children drown in swimming pools,... Read More
Under the "No Child Left Behind Act," public schools whose... Read More
As with everything, names go through cycles of change with... Read More
For troubled teens who are struggling with drug abuse, depression... Read More
Q. Things have been relatively calm and OK with our... Read More
Here is something that you might want to keep if... Read More
In seminars I am often asked about pocket-money and whether... Read More
Detox To Conceive.. If you're having trouble conceiving... Read More
Some children practically potty train themselves, while others struggle and... Read More
It's funny how people seem to think that they have... Read More
Memorabilia ? Children can create enough artwork for an entire... Read More
Ever feel like you're out of the loop when it... Read More
Ah, there is nothing like being an expectant mom. Along... Read More
Parenting |