Proverbs 13:7. “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.”
PRETENDERS. He seems to have everything, at least according to what he says If you were like him, there is no limit to what you could do When he goes out to buy, whatever attracts his fancy he gets The clothes he wears, where he lives, the cars he drives all show He has made it big – he is shrewd and clever and rich You should copy his way of life and find out all he knows And maybe whatever made him successful, to the same star you can hitch.
Stop for a minute and consider this – most rich men only for riches live Their life is wrapped around how to make their “much” still more When a person’s heart is set on wealth, they’d much rather take than give To meet the needs of the hurting and, when possible, help the poor Often those that make a “big splash” pretend much, but it’s little they really have They borrowed, schemed and bribed – and haven’t paid the lender what they owe All they seem to have and spend is to impress those who are probably naïve Their life-style isn’t to honor God – it is really a vain, empty show.
Another man may have so much he doesn’t want anyone to know He is truly rich but not for any reason would he part from some of it He is afraid if people know of his wealth, they would start to go To his house on behalf of a person or cause, ask for a little bit So he keeps it quiet, he dresses down, his wealth he does not show And misses the blessings the giver receives as well as the one who gets Forgetting that it is all left behind the minute he from his body goes He lived for what he tried to keep but eternal riches he did forget.
Far better that a person here lives an open life of faith and modesty If the Lord chooses to let one be rich be thankful for that blessing And if one doesn’t have so much – so be it – just live honestly People are not all deceived, the stingy man doesn’t know what he’s missing And the one who pretends he’s rich will be exposed for his falsity Both of them need to learn life is not made up of my hope of possessing Riches either real or false – but when one has committed to real charity Then God Himself is honored by one living out what he is professing.
“O God, I know pretense is not possible before Thee who knows when a sparrow or a hair falls. But it is quite common for people to make a pretense to be holy and spiritual, or concerned and interested when it is not really true. I know because I have done that. I am praying that I will be kept from any false ways and be willing to live a transparent life before those who know me. Maybe I don’t want to let everything hang out but I just want reality to show itself for what it is. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”