Mo' Money, Mo' Problems
- Listen up, rich folks: God is not amused with you.
- Major bad times are coming your way. All your wealth will rot. Your fancy designer clothes are gonna be eaten by moths. Your gold and silver coins are gonna rust. Then the rust is gonna eat away at your skin like fire. Yeah. It's gonna be pretty miserable.
- It's bad enough that you hoarded money, says James, but you didn't even come by your cash honestly. The folks you've cheated out of their hard-earned dollars have appealed to God and he's heard them. You lived in the lap of luxury during your time on Earth, but all that will be over soon.
- But believers (who we're assuming aren't rich) should just be patient. Jesus will be coming back anytime now.
- Wait for him like a farmer waits for his crops to grow, says James. You know they're coming. It's just a matter of finding the right time.
- Stay strong and don't start complaining about everyone else. Otherwise you're gonna be judged. Big time.
- If you're looking for examples of folks who have done it right, look no further than the prophets of the Hebrew Bible. Especially Job. These guys faced tough times, but they kept on keeping on.
More Advice
- Also, when you say something, really commit to it. Seriously, no means no and yes means yes.
- Whether you're having a good time or a bad time, you should pray. God likes it when you check in every once in a while, says James.
- If you're sick, ask some of the elders in the church to pray over you and anoint you with oil. Hey, it can't hurt. And that oil really smells good.
- If you sin (oops!), admit what you did to the community. God will totally forgive you if you take responsibility when you come up short.
- Everyone should also pray for each other. Prayer can be pretty powerful. Elijah prayed that it wouldn't rain, and not a single drop fell for three years and six months.
- And if any believer stops believing, the rest of the community can try to win him back. After all, scooping up lost sheep is one of God's favorite pastimes.
- On that note—bye-bye! See you on the flip side!