YOUR SAY: Storing up treasure by giving away love
Is America still a wealthy nation? I hear politicians demanding that the top 10 percent of the wealthiest give more to the 90 percent who are less wealthy and many who live in poverty. A Syracuse University professor in his book "Who Really Cares?" says that the religious conservatives give 30 percent more to charity than liberals even though liberal families average 6 percent higher incomes. Conservatives also give more blood.
If we are still a Christian nation, the biblical understanding of wealth is needed. Wealth means money and material possessions. Surely everyone needs and desires this wealth, but there is a difference between wanting and needing money and loving money. Jesus defines loving money as one's priority in life. He says the "love of money is the root of all evil ... be on guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions ... it is harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven ... honor the Lord with your wealth."
Philanthropist Warren Buffett in making his multi-billion dollar charitable donation said, "There is more than one way to get to heaven, but this is a great way." Giving to the needy is a marvelous way to help others but it is not a priority in getting one's way to heaven. The priority is repenting of sin and receiving Jesus Christ as savior and lord, and then giving God ownership of our lives, which includes our material wealth.
The higher definition of wealth has a spiritual meaning. The redistribution of wealth comes from the heart. Notice Jesus' teachings in Matthew 6:19-21, "Lay not up for yourselves treasure on earth where rust corrupts and thieves break in and steal (material wealth), but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven (spiritual wealth) .... for where your treasure is there will your heart be also."
Many who have little or no money are accumulating spiritual wealth in heaven for their love, faithfulness and obedience to God. Many today who are being persecuted by ISIS for refusing to denounce Jesus Christ are laying up treasure in heaven. The thing God wants most from America is our hearts and when he gets our hearts he gets our love and obedience and then distributes our material and spiritual possessions to others in need. This is the way the Salvation Army was created and given birth in the United Methodist Church.
I grew up in Fort Valley and knew the Luce family, who founded the Blue Bird Body School Bus Company. They possessed spiritual and material wealth that had needful influence and assistance upon Fort Valley, Christian colleges and theological seminaries and missionary assistance in other countries.
There was no racial divide among all who needed employment to support their families. Even teenagers were employed during summer vacation from school. Blue Bird also had a Christian influence upon its employees and our community.
Once a week -- I believe on Wednesday after lunch -- a brief worship service was available to all who wished to attend. Needful sermons were delivered by pastors. Even today we can see the name Albert Luce Jr. on the Heart Institute at the Macon Hospital.
America could rebound from our decline if we were in pursuit of love and obedience of God's revelation as the source of material and spiritual wealth. The apostle Paul reveals the source in II Cor. 8:9 "For you know the grace (unmerited favor) of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might be rich."
Everyone could be rich in this life even without an abundance of material wealth as they are laying up treasure in heaven when this life is over.
The Rev. Richard Aultman is a resident of Byron.
This story was originally published November 9, 2015 at 10:36 PM with the headline "YOUR SAY: Storing up treasure by giving away love ."