I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine a while ago who believed that God will make him rich one day.  I asked him why he believes so and what he is going to do with the money.  He said he will help orphans in Ethiopia.  And then I said, "isn’t it easier for God to give the money directly to the orphans?  Why does it have to pass through you?"

I think my friend is not alone in this kind of thinking.  Many Christians fantasize about being rich so that they can serve the Lord.  I can't help wondering if serving the Lord is the true motivation for that kind of fantasy.  Anyways,  it is worth noting that Christians in bible times neither needed nor wanted to be rich to do the Lord’s work.  That is why Peter said to the crippled beggar,  "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."  Acts 3:6.  He didn’t need money to help the poor man.  Though the poor man only expected money from Peter,  Peter had something better to offer.  Money is not what we need to offer the world.  The world has too much money and infact that is part of the problem today. 

In the Old Testament time of rebuilding the house of the Lord the people needed silver and gold but the Lord reassured them by saying,  “The silver is mine and the gold is mine,   the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house” Haggai 3:8.

God is more interested in me than my money.  My money is his anyways.  What he wants of you and me is to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices…” Rom 12:1.  If you need money to do the work of God,  the silver is his and the Gold is his and he will provide it just like he did with Nehemiah.  Nehemiah had no money when he started planning to rebuild Jerusalem.  He just had a burden and God moved kings to provide what Nehemiah needed to rebuild Jerusalem.

Trust me.  Money is overrated.
The Cyber Evangelist