A WORD TO THE WISE. Proverbs 28:20 "Get Rich Quick?"

Proverbs 28: 20     A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 28: 20.   Getting rich quick never means staying rich long.  There are schemes which will put money in your hands with little effort and in a short time.  But built into all those schemes are the inevitable ways that money will be taken from you--- quickly, like snatching duct tape off your arm.  And you know, when you get duct tape on your arm and the tape gets snatched off, you always lose some hair and some skin. 

When the get-rich-quick schemes fall apart (and they always do) you’ll lose more than you’d gained.  And you might lose some parts of your life that you can’t just grow back.

But, I understand.  You need more.  You want better than what you have, and you know that you have to get out there and get it.  O.K., but since getting it quick will be counter-productive, you need to a method that will work and leave you better not worse off.

The word God uses for the productive approach is FAITHFUL.

Faithfulness before God means knowing the path He has chosen for you and following it with increasing commitment, increasing competence, and increasing love.  Thus ,as you are more and more faithful, God delivers to you more and more blessing. (Remember the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25: 14-30.)

As 2 Corinthians  8:7, puts it: as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.

Hear your calling.  Learn your purpose.  And turn every gift, experience, credential, connection, skill, and issue that you have toward fulfilling that calling and purpose.

Your calling is the purpose for your life.  Therefore, expect to spend all of the rest of your life pursuing the different aspects, avenues, and opportunities that are part of that purpose.   This won’t be an “Oh, I did that.  Now I’m done” experience.  This will be an “I’m doing this. Now I need to add that to what I’m doing” life. 

A faithful servant evaluates each opportunity for how it does or doesn’t fit into the Master’s calling.  If it pulls you from the path, even if there’s a promise of quick reward, stay away from it.   If it’s difficult or risky, but it fits within the Word and follows your purpose, then handle it.

You won’t always get it right the first time.  Keep trying. 

You won’t always receive proper reward or recognition when you get it right.   Keep getting it right.  Continue doing what God called you to do, but keep doing it better and better.

Getting it quick means a paid-day.  Following faithfully means a prosperous life.

Choose wisely.

1 Peter 5: ^6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.

---Anderson T. Graves II

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is the pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

Call/ fax: 334-288-0577

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Hall Memorial CME Church
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