(Prov 20:21 GNB) The more easily you get your wealth, the less good it will do you.
Here Solomon goes back to another of his main topics: money. At the time of this writing Solomon was the richest man in the world (the Bill Gates of his time), so he is more than qualified to speak about money. But not surprisingly, Solomon downplays the importance of money over and over. Sure, he does make it clear that money is required to operate in the earth, but money should not be our #1 pursuit. Too many have made the pursuit of money the driving factor of their lives and without realizing it money has become their god. 'You having money' is not the problem, but 'money having you' is a major problem.
What Solomon alludes to this morning is the fact that money is an amplifier; meaning that it simply enables us to do more of what we are already programmed to do. If you give a giver (someone who supports ministry and charitable ventures) a million dollars, they will give more. If you give a ministry that is making a difference a million dollars, they can have a greater impact. But if you give an alcoholic a million dollars, he will drink more. If you give a drug addict a million dollars, he will take more drugs. If you give a womanizer a million dollars, he will attempt to 'run' more women. So this is the problem. An unexpected, and unearned, windfall of money will simply amplify whatever the person is already doing. Since the money did not come incrementally, and since it was not earned by the sweat of his or her brow, the person receiving the unexpected money is not mentally, psychologically, or spiritually prepared for magnified possibilities the unearned money opens the door to. In many cases the results can be disastrous.
The Contemporary English Version of this verse makes Solomon's point painfully clear; it reads: "Getting rich quick may turn out to be a curse." I recently watched a television program about the so-called "Lottery curse." The program chronicled several lottery winners whose lives seemingly spun out of control after winning the lottery. Why did this happen? Solomon knows why. Because in God's system you must prove that you can be faithful over what you have before He sees to it that you are promoted to the next level (financially or otherwise). And once you prove yourself faithful over that level He sees to it that you are promoted to the next, and etc. This way you are able to learn the lessons you require to properly manage the resources the Father places you over at every level. If you get promoted too soon it can be a nightmare for you, and for all those associated with what you have oversight of.
Before I close I want to be clear, the Father is NOT against wealth, not by a long shot. The Lord made Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, and many others extremely wealthy. But He did it His way and when it comes progressively you are prepared to handle the responsibility of the opportunities the money opens you to. In the 10th chapter Solomon explained that when the blessing of the LORD brings wealth, trouble doesn't come with it (10:22).
So what does this mean to you? It means you should strive to be faithful over where you are right now. If you prove yourself faithful over what you have (at home, at work, financially, etc.), the Father will see to it that you get promoted. But if you fail to prove yourself faithful the Father WILL NOT promote you. In His Kingdom people do NOT get promoted just because of the amount of time that has gone by, they get promoted because of faithfulness. Success is achieved daily, but it will not come in a day, at least not in God's system.
Father, I thank You for teaching me the importance of being faithful at every level. I seek to honor You by being faithful over everything You have blessed me to be charge over. As I prove myself faithful I have complete confidence that You will favor me to experience promotion and incremental increase. I am not foolish enough to want something that I am not prepared to handle. Therefore, I gratefully receive all that You believe I can handle and I seek to maximize it. Step by step I will continue to progress in Your Kingdom and You will see to it that I experience Your best. It may not come overnight, but since I am committed to being faithful, it will COME! In Jesus' name. Amen!
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