Come now, you rich, weep and howl for
your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and
your garments have become moth-eaten. James 5:1-2
Corporate greed...everyone is talking
about it. Those who work for anyone seem to think that their bosses
owe them more than they are getting. Anyone who makes more than them
or gets promoted instead of them must be doing something illicit to
have gotten there. There is a lot of scepticism in the world about
those in a higher station than we are.
But God knows the heart. Not all people
with money are evil, cheating, or treating their workers badly. On
the contrary! God says He will bless people with riches, though not
all riches are monetary. And for those who see injustice throughout
the world, and in their own neighborhood, be assured that God sees
and will act.
The moths will eat their garments. They
don't tend to eat polyester and cotton, but wool, the fabric of
choice for the rich. They will not be able wear that which they have
spent their money on. They will not be able to walk around looking
successful...for God will send the moth to show what is really in
their hearts...holes. Their riches rot...their grains, spices, and
foods that they have stored up for themselves, they will have to be
thrown out because they are worthless. Their gold and silver will be
corroded and rusty. I didn't know that they could rust...or maybe it
is the gook that makes them no longer be shiny...that corrosion that
shows up on my silver flute while it sits out, the corrosion that
makes you have to polish the silverware before you use it. The gold
that looks pale and unvaluable instead of invaluable...that ugliness
of storing it up instead of paying people for the work they have
done, that will eat their flesh, here or in the life to come.
So we sit back and say, “Good, they
will get what they deserve, the ________s” Well, people, we are
setting the standard for our own judgment. Whatever measure we use
for others will be used for us. Be aware of your own bitterness, your
own anger. Yes, we should stand up against injustice...when people
are promised something for work, they should get what they earn. To
renege on a promise is not ok. But it is a dangerous place to be to
wish harm on anyone according to what they “deserve.” If we get
what we deserve, we are in serious trouble. We deserve death,
condemnation. We receive mercy, grace, and forgiveness. We are to
extend those things to our fellow humans who are caught up in sin.
That old saying, “There but for the grace of God go I,” is more
true than we know. It is not to excuse their behavior, but to try to
guide them out of the mindset and habits that have led them to think
of no one but themselves. It is one thing to force their hand to
comply, and another to change their hearts to not only comply, but to
better benefit those they come in contact with in business and life.
If we show what love and mercy look like, there is no doubt that some
will see it and come to an understanding of the God who gives. People
like John Newton, former slave trader, change their minds, their
actions, and their impact on the world. And some people will never
change, but God defends the rights of the needy. To encourage people
who are down and out, to redirect them to more trustworthy bosses, to
meet their needs in the meantime...that is what we can do.
Be not deceived, God is not mocked.
Whatever a man sows, that also will he reap.
The real warning is that when you are
given the role of leader, provider, employer, and gain wealth, to
make sure you are just in your dealings, following through on your
promises to others, and paying them whatever you owe them. It is easy
to get lax when it comes to appreciating what people do for us.
Keeping our garments from being
moth-eaten, that is our goal. God will keep the worm away and let us
wear His majesty to show his glory, and not try to display our own
meager loveliness.
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