AN EPIDEMIC OF ILL-GOTTEN GAIN

AN EPIDEMIC OF ILL-GOTTEN GAIN

Greed is running in epidemic proportions in the United States and across the world. Petty thieves, burglars and even Brink’s truck robbers are taking a back seat to the banking and Wall Street scams and scoundrels who have put the nation in financial peril. The economy of our nation also threatens the economy of other nations. 

Greed abounds when the moral structure collapses, which is the current state of the nation. Our moral structure is collapsing because our spiritual foundation is crumbling. Or maybe I should say it is being disassembled brick by brick, stone by stone. God has been thrown out of the schools and government. His laws have been overruled, such as with “Thou Shalt Not Kill” (abortion) and “No man shall lie with another man…,” a reference to homosexuality. God’s plan for marriage between a man and a woman is being thwarted by those who have joined forces to change His rules. With no moral structure, the love of money takes over. The love of it is, after all, the root of all evil.

 

Some say socialism is the answer. Others say socialism is stealing from what one person has earned to give to another. I am not in favor of socialism, but I consider it a problem when the abundance a person has “earned” has been or is being gained by oppressing the workers. A worker is worthy of his wages and his wages should be fair. What man has ever gotten rich without the help of his workers? So my view of socialism is the skimming off of the wages of others.

 
Socialism cannot succeed when the people cannot succeed. Incentives and competition are necessary to keep the economy thriving. The concept of supply and demand can only take us so far. Success under Capitalism is measured by gain, but that gain should not be ill-gotten gain which comes at the expense of robbing others of their fair wages. The Bible warns against ill-gotten or unjust gain in Proverbs 22:16 - "Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty."

 
I’ve often wondered how the ultra rich can sleep peacefully knowing that because they are paying them less than their worth, some of their workers cannot pay their bills, cannot feed their families, and have no means of paying for medical care. Yes, the rich give to charities, but oppressing their workers cancels out the good that giving to charities does. There’s only one thing worse, and that is to do neither. I cannot see the logic in a rich man giving to charities when his own workers are financially suffering -- the very workers who helped him achieve his riches. And to add insult to injury, the poor are bad-mouthed and shunned.

 
I have noticed that when the economy takes a downturn or if a business is not doing well, the loss is often made up for by taking money out of the pocket of the “little guy” or by eliminating his job altogether. The guy(s) at the top cannot bear the thought of having less. Habakkuk 2:9 says, “Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!" The employees in top positions are unwilling to give up their large salaries for fear of financial ruin but they should also consider those in low positions as well as themselves. They fear a greater ruin. Any business loss should be shared on a pro-rated basis according to rank. Any business gain should also be shared the same way.

Socialism would not need to be discussed if the redistribution or sharing of money was done willingly by each individual, each business, and by the church through giving or tithing. Yes, even the church is sometimes guilty. It sometimes ignores its poor. The church may have a food pantry, a soup kitchen, or a clothing giveaway, but there are those in the church who have other unmet needs. 

If the church itself is poor, giving of oneself through labor by an individual or individuals in the church will often meet those unmet needs. That amounts to tithing of your time and talents. If an elderly widow cannot afford to make repairs on her house, the donation of one’s services will save the same amount of money that the church would have had to donate if the church family had the money. In that situation, the woman saves money when an expense is eliminated, which is the same as receiving money. Ideally, every individual with a skill would donate 10 percent of their time to a person in need of the services they are able to provide.

 
God allows for great financial gain. Abraham was rich and so was Joseph after he became the second most powerful man in the Egyptian nation. David and Solomon were both rich. In fact, Solomon was probably the richest king ever. Though God allowed individuals to keep their riches, he also required them to consider the poor and to respond with generosity.

God wants us to learn to give. Giving stimulates the heart. It requires caring, compassion, consideration, sacrifice and love, all of which build character. Giving helps the Christian stay focused. Self-centeredness cannot rule the soul when generosity is present. Hard-heartedness is avoided when self is sacrificed. Giving provides an emotional reward and builds our relationship with Christ. We are an example to others with our giving. Givers earn honor and respect and make the world a better place. There is much truth in “It is better to give than receive.”

I Timothy 6:17-19 says "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.