Today we celebrate Labor Day. I labored in various careers for 50 years and am grateful for the opportunities. God blessed those efforts but the effort is the challenge today. I drove to Marysville to see friends today. Upon circling to return by a more direct route I encountered a ‘demonstration’. The signs were handmade and the sentiments all over the place but ‘Boycott Billionaires’ caught my eye. Boycotting someone because they have more than you does not make sense to me. Is there a moral specific – as ‘having’ is not an offense. I’m wondering if the lady holding the sign knows a billionaire or has ever worked for someone with ‘more’ than her? More and less is about money, possessions, and position. We are on equal standing in God’s sight. He looks at the heart and not the stuff. Should this woman boycott people with less than her and only accept people with similar status? Is this socialism where we attempt to put all shapes of stones in the same round hole? Balderdash. I gave a thumbs down from my car and one of many sign-holders offered me a peace sign. I’ll take it. It may take more effort to become a billionaire than a sign-holder. There is no automatic evil in success which can result in wealth accumulation. We are called to live a joyful life of pleasing the Lord. That is possible from anyone. Psalm 18:29 reads, “For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall”. Anything is possible. Unless, and quoting Dr Paul Tripp, “I struggle with self-worship, self-rule, and self-sacrifice. In my heart there are still ways in which I want, feel or think that (what) I need is more important to me than God’s will and the real needs of those around me”. The struggle is not about having too little or too much but in having a heart toward God and the people around us whom He loves so much. Use your time to build something that helps others. I’ve heard it said that people without provision think about money more than those who go out and earn it. There is no implied abuse of others in being wealthy so is holding a boycott sign very useful?
