James 5:4-6—In bondage to money

Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the http://careerguru.careerunway.com/real-viagra-for-sale-online/ harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and http://www.kathleenssugarandspice.com/kamagra-online-without-prescription/ led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. James 5:4-6

Although Matthew Henry’s commentary suggests that this portion of James’ letter was aimed at those among the Jews who didn’t know Jesus as Lord, I feel that Christians would do well to take this stern warning to heart. It focuses on attitudes concerning the use of money and is absolutely relevant.

In recent years the news has been filled with the outcry of the so-called “99%” against the supposed “1%”. According to those protesting the affluence of others, possession of wealth alone is an indictment against the rich (except for the wealthy who invest big bucks in their cause).

If he were alive today, James would not join in on the “occupying”. How do I know? He cared less about what someone owned and more about what—or who—owned them. If you’re shouting at people with money because they have money, you’re not driven by the wisdom from above—which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy (James 3:17; http://www.firstofallpray.com/?p=6136 ). You’re being driven by the wisdom from below—and it’s earthly, natural, and demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing (see James 3:15-16; http://www.firstofallpray.com/?p=6131 ).

If James wasn’t against being rich, then why did he seem to come down so hard on affluence? Again, he didn’t care how much wealth someone had accumulated. What he did care about was the driving force within the man—was it to serve God or mammon? His strong comments were directed to believers who evidenced a stronger allegiance to money than to the Master.

Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

I understand that most believers don’t think of themselves as employers. However, this verse is not merely speaking to business leaders or company owners. This verse hits closer to home. It addresses every kind of transaction in which you pay for work done on your behalf. Do you ever go out to eat? If so, what’s your attitude about tipping? How do you treat the person who cuts or colors your hair? Do you hire someone to clean your house? Have you ever hired someone to work on your yard or repair things around your house? Have you ever hired a baby sitter? A dog or a cat sitter? If so, you do hire laborers.

Check the state of your heart when the transaction takes place. Do you begrudge that money? Do you tell others that the worker tried to rip you off? Do you seek to pay as little as possible? Then you need to reread verse 4: Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

You see, your attitude toward the money you pay to the various people doing different jobs for you is huge to God. Any money you withhold from them—pinching and viagra pythonsrugby.co.uk manipulating to get a “good deal” out of them—cries out against you! And take a peek at whom those tightly clutched dollars cry out: the Lord of Sabaoth—the Lord of the armies of Heaven! God means business when it comes to withheld money.

I don’t want the squeezed-out, “good deal” money I hold back to shout to the Lord, “She refused to give me to the young man who did her yard work! You know You told her to pay more, Lord!” I don’t want to hear the cash in my wallet scream, “She kept me back, God, from the woman who colored her hair when she knew good and well that I should have gone to that hairdresser!” And I surely don’t want to hear it cry, “Lord Jesus! She stiffed the gal who cleans her house again! That lady needed a blessing, and Dorothy refused to give her a dime more than the bare minimum.”

God hears the pay of the laborers crying out against you when you withhold what is justly due. In order to keep your funds from protesting with loud cries to God, be generous and bless others who work or provide a service to you.

You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

The Lord knows that you need to live. He knows you need to eat and that you need shelter and clothing. And according to God’s Word, it’s not sinful to enjoy comfort and nice things (see 1 Timothy 6:17b). However, James wrote here of excessiveness—the pursuit of luxury and pleasure which focuses solely upon self. The outcome of this kind of extreme indulgence is not nice—like cattle led to slaughter, the excessive individual is actually fattening his or her heart for a massive downturn—for a day of slaughter.

You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

Refusal to pay others fairly combined with the funneling of your income entirely upon self-indulgent pleasures—such behaviors do not reflect the Lord Jesus in your life. Instead, without realizing it, your excesses end up condemning and http://www.renaissing.it/acquista-la-farmacia-del-viagra-senza-prescrizione-medica/ putting to death the righteous man [the person who provides you a valuable service for very little output when you could easily afford to pay more]; he does not resist you [he or she does not complain, but barely makes a subsistence living when the services provided to you genuinely streamline and/or enhance your life].

Yes, this is extreme language; this is why Matthew Henry did not think it was written to believers. However, those who serve or do work for us have needs; perhaps their needs are enormous and their lives are hanging in the balance; perhaps offering a bit more of your resources would tip the scale in their favor and bring blessing and relief to their depleted lives. Conversely, your disregard for fair payment could become the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. Don’t let this happen on account of you. Remember, the Lord of Armies is listening to the cries of money withheld from those who work for you.

Be on your guard against a mindset of “me, me, me; mine, mine, mine”. Recognize the behaviors that are linked to a self-indulgent lifestyle. And if you find yourself in that place—stuck on self—then throw yourself in reverse, back-pedal out of that “fat” place, and high-tail it out of there, far, far away from the day of slaughter.

May the Lord help all of us to be blessers rather than withholders!

Dorothy

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Proverbs 3:27

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered. He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. Proverbs 11:24-2