5 Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. ² Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. ³ Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. ⁴ For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

⁵ You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

James 5:1-6

Dear God, I came across this passage this morning as I logged into Bible Gateway, and I had a few thoughts.

First, I’m coming off of a fundraising dinner from last night at which there were many wealthy people, and I needed them to donate to our cause. So my initial reaction to this was to be defensive of them: “Hey, they care about people and love their neighbors! Take it easy there, James.” I used to work for a different organization over 20 years ago and depended upon donors, and I remember one of the founding board member resenting wealthy people. She was hostile toward their wealth. I remember try to tell her that without their wealth we wouldn’t be able to do the work we were doing. The same is definitely true now. I appreciate the wealth of the people who were able to give at significant levels last night. I ask you to please help this exchange between our nonprofit and them be a blessing and joy to them that is multiplied many fold over the value of the gift they gave. I ask that it be a conduit to you helping them to work out their faith with fear and trembling. Show me how to be part of your blessing to them.

Second, I had a slightly more horrifying thought: “What if James is talking to me?!?” While I don’t consider myself wealthy, there are any number of people I know who would think of me in that way. And by just about any measure in this world, I am in the upper percentile of wealth. So how do I stand up to James’s admonition here? Am I counting on my money (verse 3)? Does our organization pay the staff fairly (verse 4)? Do we do what we can to bring hope and mercy to your world? Do we glorify you in our work? Do I hold back my personal wealth at the cost of helping those you call me to help?

Father, I have a job to do today. It is to love and minister to those who participated in our event last night. Love them well through me. Give me the vision and enthusiasm to focus on them and your love for them. Use their interactions with us to draw them closer to yourself. Be glorified in all of this. The other job I have to do is to lead our organization in service to our community. Help me to do that well. I want to be better at that. Please lead me to the correct staff that you have to work with us (I’m thinking about three positions I’m trying to figure out right now). Please show me the way.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen