James 1:9-11
Today's Scripture

⁹The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. ¹⁰But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. ¹¹For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

Some of these verses in James remind me of Proverbs--bits of wisdom packed into every verse--lessons for life. Here James writes about wealth and status. Those who have little money should take pride in their high position--for their treasure is not on earth, but in heaven. And those with a lot of money should take pride in their low position--because wealth on this earth is not what matters in the scheme of eternity. Like a flower that has beauty for a season, so is money--here for a time, but we can't take our stocks and bonds with us when we die.

I need to remember this as we deal with money in our lives. Recently, a homeowner refused to pay my husband the entire amount for construction work he had done in their home. He paid a little more than half, and paid four months late.

Rather than getting worked up, Tim just chalked it up to business. I can learn a lot from his attitude. Don't get me wrong--I still want people to pay what they owe, but in view of eternity, a few dollars is not going to make much difference, but the way we use our money and the attitude we have towards it will make a difference.
- posted by Suzi @ 7:14 AM