Today’s Personal Finance Bible Scripture comes from Proverbs 13:7.
7One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.Proverbs 13:7 (NIV)
While I think it’s fun to look at this verse as a warning against “keeping up with the Joneses”, I think the Amplified Bible gives us a more accurate and applicable translation:
7One man considers himself rich, yet has nothing [to keep permanently]; another man considers himself poor, yet has great [and indestructible] riches.
Proverbs 13:7 (AMP)
As Christians, we have a great reward in Christ Jesus. Even the poorest of Christians in this life is far richer than the wealthiest non-Christian. This is why I emphasize so strongly that God’s blessing in a Christian’s life may not come in the form of material things. We are already greatly blessed because Christ died for us—material things beyond food and clothing are merely extras.
Contentment is so important in a Christian’s life because it helps us realize that we don’t need much in this life to be happy beyond a close relationship with our God. Once we fully grasp this reality, we can begin to serve God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind.
