City Life Starter

I. The Word- Jeremiah 17:11 (NRSV)

“Like the partridge hatching what it did not lay, so are all who amass wealth unjustly; in mid-life it will leave them, and at their end they will prove to be fools.”

II. Study Questions

1. Do you rob others of their rightful revenue?
2. What does it mean to amass wealth while preserving justice?
3,  Are all financial increases a blessing from the Lord?

Today’s verse comes from the Book of Jeremiah, in which Jeremiah gives many warnings to the people of Judah. This verse compares gaining financial resources unjustly to a bird hatching eggs that were laid by another. It means that their finances should not be gained by taking advantage of others or robbing others of their earnings. It further states that such practices will make wealth unsustainable and expose the perpetrators as unwise.

We tend to equate worshipping God financially with charitable giving. However, how we gain our financial resources is just as important! It’s seldom discussed because we enjoy believing that all received money is a blessing from the Lord. However, there are right and wrong ways to get money, and the way we gain money impacts the world just like where we give it. Our church community is great at identifying the societal ways this is broken, such as racial discrimination, sex slavery, and labor trafficking. However, we have all shown disdain for the Lord in routine financial decisions, including:

• Illegally downloading media that actors, musicians, producers, directors and many others worked hard to create.
• Not speaking up when the cashier gives you too much change.
• Purchasing a student/senior/military discounted movie ticket when it doesn’t apply to you.
• Dishonestly completing your taxes and/or FAFSA forms to get a better return/award.
  Asking for a free water cup, then filling it with a non-free drink.
• Leaving a sub-par tip, or none at all, for wait staff who performed a satisfactory job.

In all these situations, we choose to increase our wealth status by taking away someone else’s due revenue; which means we are increasing our financial resources unjustly. The way we maintain finances should show our trust in Christ and ambition toward His mission. If we trust in the Lord to provide for us, we shouldn’t need to hurt our neighbor to save a buck. The mentioned examples may seem small, but that’s exactly how the enemy makes your heart comfortable with sin.