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.
personalized cleaning services Mundelein ..From the book Spider's Night on the BoomI've only begun... Read More
KIDS AND THE NEWSMore than ever, children witness innumerable, sometimes... Read More
Are you worried about your child's reading habits? Perhaps you... Read More
The learning and development of Australian kids is under threat... Read More
1. Tell me something you like about yourself? Help your... Read More
Once upon a time there was a beautiful bird whose... Read More
I will never forget the day that my daughter's sixth... Read More
It happens every year. Just when you are settled in... Read More
"Home Schooling ? Look Before You Leap"Are you considering home... Read More
Do you want your child to cooperate with you more?Children... Read More
Impulsivity is one of the hallmarks of people with Attention... Read More
Until about the age of six, children do not generally... Read More
It's a familiar scene: Kids screaming at each other, complaining... Read More
The human brain never actually stops developing. Beginning formation in... Read More
So your little Susie wants to join a competitive gymnastic... Read More
Does the homework battle so typical with your hyperactive or... Read More
"My son won't go to bed at night without a... Read More
Angie was brought up by rigid, authoritarian parents who kept... Read More
Child care costs are are one of the most expensive... Read More
It was at that time when our marriage was falling... Read More
You send your child to school and the teachers teach... Read More
How many times have you flipped through the pages of... Read More
The brightly colored plastic mobile dangles lazily overhead in the... Read More
Mother's Day is important for children.This Mother's Day take note... Read More
"You can learn many things from children. How much patience... Read More
one time home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..We all scream for ice cream. Or, we don't, at... Read More
Family decision-making is an intriguing phenomenon. Many factors become part... Read More
I was changing Ford's diaper the other day when he... Read More
The distressed adolescent often has feelings of abandonment, emotional detachment,... Read More
"Just turn the lights off and go to sleep"Do you... Read More
What makes parenting so challenging at times? One widespread research... Read More
The ADD child exhibits a series of behaviors that are... Read More
To have reasonable expectations of our children is an important... Read More
Have you ever watched your teenager make a mistake (that... Read More
"Family Matters" was the headline that caught my attention in... Read More
"You can learn many things from children. How much patience... Read More
A sure way to double the joys of parenthood is... Read More
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes around the brain... Read More
Despite serious reductions in funding for arts programs in... Read More
An estimated five million scooters will be sold this year... Read More
Looking back through my files I've come across several great... Read More
The biggest complaint you hear from parents about their children... Read More
I am sure that this list can be jogged and... Read More
In my opinion, these things matter...1. Enjoying childlike delights before... Read More
I wanted to share with you one of the most... Read More
This can be a very complicated issue, so I don't... Read More
I had my first two children on either side of... Read More
In the news, we hear and see an increasing number... Read More
I could nearly fund my children's future education if I... Read More
When you talk about multiply your child's intelligence, you can't... Read More
Parenting |