Verse: Proverbs 22:1
Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.
Devotion
Proverbs has a lot to say about the deceitfulness of wealth. Living in a America we all have wealth. It is part of our society. We are the richest society of all time. Even if you don’t feel rich, you are in comparison with most of the other 7.6 billion people on the planet.
We are immersed in a culture of wealth, and we also have great wealth….so these warnings are even more important for us to heed.
Proverbs 11:28 – He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.
Proverbs 23:4-5 – Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.
The interesting thing is that the book of Proverbs also gives advice on how to rightly manage money. It talks a lot about being generous, not going into debt, and working hard. So it would seem that it is the power or priority we give to money in our lives that really matters. When money becomes our chief pursuit. When we begin to trust in money as our security. When we find our identity in our money/job/position, then we start to lose our way.
Money is deceitful. It promises to give you a name, a future, and security. But only God can really do all those things. This is why Jesus tackles money head on over and over again. He says plainly in Luke 16:13, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Ask the Lord today to search your heart and see if you have an improper relationship with money in your life. Are we trusting God over money, or the other way around? Are we looking to money for our identity and security, or are we rooting that in Jesus?
Prayer
Money can be so deceitful, God. I pray you would give me eyes to see when I am putting too much importance on money in my life.
Author: Christian Dunn
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