Rich People Have Needs Too
A family I know bought a huge home years ago, and their daughter invited her friends over for their first get-together at the new home. Unfortunately jealousy set it in with one of the daughter’s friends who made a comment about the home and her thinking she is “so rich.” The daughter was hurt because the money her family has had never crossed her mind. Her friend saw the house and only thought about how rich they must be. The family saw the home and only thought, “What a nice place to have all our friends over.” Granted the kitchen pantry was bigger than my whole apartment at the time, but while the daughter’s friend associated the huge house with money, the family only associated it as a place to meet with friends!
Image © Steve Creitz from GoodSalt.com
The family had money but they needed friends. Money doesn’t buy real friendship. And in this case it was a stumbling block to a real friendship. Not on the part of the family with the big home, but on the part of the friend they invited over.
I was not born poor but I was not born rich either. Sometimes as a kid when I would see people with nicer things than we had, I would wonder, why couldn’t I have just been born rich? As an adult I read about a very rich American family, who had a daughter born with a defect made worse by surgery to the extent that the daughter was totally incapacitated. I then realized while I had asked why I couldn’t have just been born rich, there were rich people asking why they couldn’t have been born healthy.
Some rich (as well as poor) people have health issues not all the money in the world can cure. Some even gain their wealth by squandering their health, and later they wish they could buy back their health. Others use their wealth to indulge in health-destroying behavior. Rich people need healing. They need a health message.
Sometimes we forget all the needs of the rich when we drive by their huge mansions or see them drive by in their Lamborghini. We must be careful not to make assumptions that they are even rich. For all we know they are about to lose the mortgage on their mansion and are never going to get out of debt for that Lamborghini. Are they really better off with all that? A rich man had a Lamborghini. So he has four wheels. My Hyundai has four wheels too. So he has a mansion. He has a place to lay his head. I have a place to lay my head too, and I really don’t need twenty more rooms that I am not in.
While I may tempted to think life would be just perfect if I only had what they have, there is someone thinking their life would be just perfect if they only had what I have. I’ve heard it said, the richest man in the world is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.
In Acts 26 we see Paul standing in his prisoner clothes, hands bound, while talking to King Agrippa who was dressed in all his splendor and glory. Paul tells King Agrippa,
“I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.” Acts 26:29 NKJV
What Paul was telling Agrippa was, “I don’t need what you have. You need what I have!”
Today’s rich people need true friendship, true healing, and true forgiveness. We can reach the rich once we realize, we don’t need what they have. The world is after what they have, and God has promised to meet our needs in Christ Jesus and not in the rich people of the world.
We will reach the rich when we allow Jesus to change us, so they can see that they too need a redeeming Savior!
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Yes yes in all we as humans are not contented with what we have. We are general the grab all type, why, because we lack him who satisfy everything - the one all in all who is Jesus Christ. He said in John 10v10 'I have come so that you may have life not as the world giveth but life in abundance,'
Indeed in life, money cant buy everything that we need but money poses more enemies. However, this is only limited to worldly riches, but the riches we get from our Savior Jesus Christ makes us more friends than enemies
Take the world but give me Jesus i am blessed with my Jesus
Very thoughtful story. I did grow up poor and without God. In my 20's the SDA Church found me. I was a welfare kid, substance abuser and a high school drop out. God saw in me someone I never thought I would be. Now in my 50's I have a graduate degree, the big house and am Head Elder in my SDA Church. God did all that. I just cooperated with His plan. I do feel that jealousy even within the Church. Seek Ye First the Kingdom Of God and all these thing shall be added unto you. Without God I felt like nothing but knowing that the Father loves me makes a difference.
Wealth, for most of us, is determined by the amount of our temporal posessions in comparison to others. It is a way of life in all societies, and only differs by degrees. More evident in some, than others. Most wealthy people are not without "friends" many of which are what we would classify as opportunistic, "fair weather" type. Unfortunately this life style does not engender a spiritual need, and is for the most part, completely devoid of any similar thougts. Yes wealthy people have the same spiritual needs as the poor, but the poor recognise that need, much, much, sooner. Jesus said the poor we will always have, and he did spend time with some of the wealthy and influential, but most of his ministry was focussed on the needy, the poor, and those suffering from physical impairments. The point is if a drowning person refuses attempts to save them, what more can be done. We can disciple the wealthy also, if they are willing.
When we have JESUS in our lives we would feel contented. We may not have the things we want but if we have Him, we have everything we need. Yes, let us understand that rich people have needs too. It is a fact that if we don't have JESUS in our lives, our needs and wants just keep on increasing. It is only through Him that we come to know the real purpose of life. So,as Christians let us not get intimidated to share to the wealthy who JESUS is and how He loves them too.
Such a blessing to see your name jumping out of the page to greet me, I said to myself there's only one Carman Aurelio. I don't do lesson here very often but the audio lesson is not working for me so I had to switch to this one.Nothing in our lives happens by chance and God uses our people connections to let us know he's pulling the strings n our lives.Going home soon and so will see your family in Bacolod, halong and God bless you with grace peace and love in the coming days.
Wealth is a blessing from God; No matter how hard you tried, somewhere somehow you never get it, because he knows you can't handle it if they are not meant for you.
Proverb said someone spent freely but still have plenty of wealth, but someone scrimp and save, never have enough to sustain the basics.
Nonetheless, we must always pray to God that we are not so poor that we need to steal and not so rich that we don't need God anymore. Be content, trust God always provides. Amen
Thank you all for your thoughtful comments.