Proverbs 15:6
When
I think about the Kennedy wealth, wealth that was gained in illegal ways
generations ago, I wonder if the fortune came at a price. They were staunch
Roman Catholics and yet made much of their money selling rum during
Prohibition. They also seem to have been involved in some shady insider
trading, before insider trading was illegal. And the list could go on.
Now
I don’t want it to seem that I am singling out the Kennedy family for
particular scrutiny. Many people, some of the wealthy, have not gained their
wealth in ethical manners, whether that wealth is large or small. You don’t
have to be a millionaire to be a crook!
Our
proverb makes a connection between the character of the person and the accumulation
of treasure. The parallel between treasure and income in the two halves of this
verse show that we are talking about money. So should be look at a person’s
wealth and assume they are righteous since they have great treasure? Absolutely
not!
There
is more to life than treasure, money, or things. Ruin can take many forms. When
sin is allowed to rein unchecked in a life, even the life of a wealthy,
connected person, it will reap consequences. If we allow sin to have free rein in
our lives, negative things will happen to us. We might be able to keep the
smiling face for the public, but underneath all the plastic surgery will be
sadness and misery.
So
why not choose righteousness! We will have great treasure, probably not the
kind of treasure the world values, but then we have another home, another
Master, another life. We can have rich relationships, not based on the false
premise of friendship purchased with things, but built on common caring and support.
We can enjoy having our needs met, not because our bank account has six
figures, but because we live in trust of Him who promised to meet our needs.