It looks like the rich will finally overtake the world.
Seriously. The wealthiest 1 percent of the world will earn more than the remaining 99 percent by the end of 2015, according to BBC News. This comes from an Oxfam report, which has reviewed income inequality since 2000.
These staggering numbers raise questions about the moral well-being of the earth. After all, the Bible in Timothy 6:10 says money is the root of all evil.
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil," the verse says. "Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
But wealth can help the world, too, especially when the rich use their money for good.
Christianity Todays Amy Julia Becker wrote that the world needs rich Christians because they give to society in ways many others don't by donating to, investing in, and supporting good causes and values. Becker said the good example put forth by wealthy Christians can serve as a testimony of Jesus Christ, who cares for all His children and transforms them from the inside out.
The gospel is good news for everyone rich and poor alike, Becker wrote. And this good news should transform the way we all, rich and poor and in the middle, use money. We need rich Christians as part of the gospel witness that knowing Jesus transforms every aspect of who we are, for our good and for the good of our neighbor too."
Wealthy Christians also have the unique opportunity to share or give of their posessions before entering into Heaven, where spiritual matters hold more importance. Relevant magazine's Lauren Dalessandro wrote that God gives wealthy people the chance to show their commitment to and love for God by how they spend their money and how they decide to give their posessions away on their journey to heaven.
"In order to enter heaven, we all must be unloaded of our possessions in order to enter the narrow gate and receive the real blessings on the other side," Dalessandro wrote.
And there have been a variety of charitable Christians who have used their money for good in recent years. For example, former PayPal vice president Jack Selby started the "Tips for Jesus" campaign two years ago, where he left a very gracious tip for a waitress, which I wrote about in 2013. This inspired a moment where other charitable Christians donated money to waiters and waitresses through large tips.
Some would also say the wealthy Christian owners of Hobby Lobby have helped used their resources to support the good of the people, since they pushed for religious liberty rights with the Supreme Court last year. The stores owners won the SCOTUS case which enabled the company, and other companies like it, to choose whether or not to cover birth control in their employee insurance plans, according to Deseret News Nationals Mark Kellner.
In fact, the rich using their riches to support and uplift others, as well as the values of the Gospel, fits into Jesus own beliefs, uttered in Mark 10:17-31, commonly known as the story of Jesus and the rich man.
In these verses, Jesus tells a wealthy man to donate his money to the poor and those less fortunate than him, and only then would he be accepted in heaven.
Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, Jesus said. Then come, follow me.
Seriously. The wealthiest 1 percent of the world will earn more than the remaining 99 percent by the end of 2015, according to BBC News. This comes from an Oxfam report, which has reviewed income inequality since 2000.
These staggering numbers raise questions about the moral well-being of the earth. After all, the Bible in Timothy 6:10 says money is the root of all evil.
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil," the verse says. "Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
But wealth can help the world, too, especially when the rich use their money for good.
Christianity Todays Amy Julia Becker wrote that the world needs rich Christians because they give to society in ways many others don't by donating to, investing in, and supporting good causes and values. Becker said the good example put forth by wealthy Christians can serve as a testimony of Jesus Christ, who cares for all His children and transforms them from the inside out.
The gospel is good news for everyone rich and poor alike, Becker wrote. And this good news should transform the way we all, rich and poor and in the middle, use money. We need rich Christians as part of the gospel witness that knowing Jesus transforms every aspect of who we are, for our good and for the good of our neighbor too."
Wealthy Christians also have the unique opportunity to share or give of their posessions before entering into Heaven, where spiritual matters hold more importance. Relevant magazine's Lauren Dalessandro wrote that God gives wealthy people the chance to show their commitment to and love for God by how they spend their money and how they decide to give their posessions away on their journey to heaven.
"In order to enter heaven, we all must be unloaded of our possessions in order to enter the narrow gate and receive the real blessings on the other side," Dalessandro wrote.
And there have been a variety of charitable Christians who have used their money for good in recent years. For example, former PayPal vice president Jack Selby started the "Tips for Jesus" campaign two years ago, where he left a very gracious tip for a waitress, which I wrote about in 2013. This inspired a moment where other charitable Christians donated money to waiters and waitresses through large tips.
Some would also say the wealthy Christian owners of Hobby Lobby have helped used their resources to support the good of the people, since they pushed for religious liberty rights with the Supreme Court last year. The stores owners won the SCOTUS case which enabled the company, and other companies like it, to choose whether or not to cover birth control in their employee insurance plans, according to Deseret News Nationals Mark Kellner.
In fact, the rich using their riches to support and uplift others, as well as the values of the Gospel, fits into Jesus own beliefs, uttered in Mark 10:17-31, commonly known as the story of Jesus and the rich man.
In these verses, Jesus tells a wealthy man to donate his money to the poor and those less fortunate than him, and only then would he be accepted in heaven.
Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, Jesus said. Then come, follow me.
