What’s your Retirement Plan?

James 5:1-6

A distant cousin of mine was quite rich when he died. As a young man, he would take advantage of his relatives, charging them exorbitant amounts to haul cattle to market for them, while refusing to pay them for doing the same for him. He scrimped and found every way to get out of paying his fair share during his entire life, taking advantage of every government program which he possibly could. He refused to drink coffee in th local café because they’d raised their prices, and wouldn’t give him the old price, driving to the next town to get coffee instead. In other words, he did everything business executives are encouraged to do to make their stock prices grow, just a little harder.

After he became rich, he would sit and watch the stock market reports to see if his portfolio had increased in value daily. His family says that it the market went down, he would be so upset he’d have to go vomit. If his wife spent more than he expected for groceries, or some thing broke down, he was apoplectic. I cannot imagine how horrible his life must have been. Howard Hughes’ biography, and that of J. Paul Getty reveal similar misery at the end of their lives. James describes the potential state of the rich.

“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” (James 5:1-3)

Many spend their entire lives trying to get rich. We are told how much emphasis we need to place on preparing for our retirement. As a result, when the stock market dips or the economy falters, people panic, although not all toe level of my cousin. The rich man panics because he has so much to lose, yet Proverbs 23:5 warned against focusing on wealth. “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” Depending on our wealth is going to be a wild rollercoaster ride, because it is so unstable. Proverbs 11:28 warns, “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.”

Even if we manage to retain our wealth, we have no assurance that we will have a long happy life, or what will happen to our wealth after we die. How many trusts, created to protect the assets of a rich parent, lost their money because they had invested with Bernie Madoff, thinking it was a good investment? What assurance is there that new tax laws will not wipe out such a trust? Jesus addressed these issues in his story in Luke 12.

“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:15-21)

Psalm 39:6 points out how foolish it is to get upset about trying to get wealth and belongings. “Surely every man walketh in a vain show: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.” We have no real control who will benefit from our efforts.

There is a temptation to take advantage of the ignorance, or misfortunes of others to try to get rich. Disasters like hurricane Katrina reveal that many are doing the very thing. There is also a temptation to offer bribes or incentives to get rich peoples’ business, as many states and cities have done. Proverbs 22;16 warns about doing so. “He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.” How many of our state and city governments would not be in debt if they hadn’t offered such incentives.

Timothy 6:9-10 warns of the danger inherent in the temptations. “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Yielding to the temptation will not go unnoticed.

“Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.” (James 5:4-6)

David states that those who get rich using the world’s techniques are ungodly in Psalm 73:12. “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.” II Peter 3:7 and Jude 1:15 stress the judgment to be executed on ungodly men. Proverbs 22:1 declares that a good reputation is better than wealth. “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” Many of my rich cousin’s relatives and acquaintances avoided him because they feared he would cheat them. Many other rich people experience the same isolation. As Psalm 37:16 states, “A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.”

If we devote ourselves to pleasing God, on the other hand, Psalm 112:1-3 promises wealth and fame will come as a byproduct, and the rewards will be eternal. “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.”

Which would you rather have? Temporary wealth immediately, or permanent rewards and wealth for the long term? It’s your choice.