Be Rich

There are a lot of get rich quick schemes out there.

Ponzi schemes - Pay returns to early investors by using money from new investors...look at how much money I’ve made! But if you’re one of the last investors, jokes on you!

Largest ponzi scheme in history — Bernie Madoff - defrauded people of an estimated $65 billion

Pyramid schemes - These schemes focus on recruiting new members to make money and the goods and services are often of little value

Holiday Magic in California’s Bay Area - supposedly sold cosmetics, but the point was not the cosmetics, it was to sell franchises, to sell franchises, to sell franchises.

Multi-level marketing - Kind of like the Pyramid scheme except that the goods and service may actually be high quality, but the goal of recruiting new members is often just as important or more important than selling a quality product.

And of course, there are many multi-level marketing companies out there that sell good products but there is a significant pressure to recruit more distributors which increases your profits whenever they sell.

Amway, Mary Kay, Herbalife, Avon, and Tupperware

Online schemes - secret formulas...side hustle courses...promising unrealistic profits. The goal is to get you to invest, or buy the course.

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Now, why do these things work?

There is an incessant desire within almost every human to get rich and have plenty of money!

I have it...you have it...we all have it!

We all in the back of our minds want to get rich.

So a couple questions for you...

Do you feel rich? How much would it take for you to feel rich?

Listen to what Logan says...He wrote into a magazine that specializes in finances and building wealth...

I’m a physician in my early forties. I make $450-500K. I read a lot about finance and I know that technically I am in the 1%, but I don’t feel rich at all. I don’t know if it was the way I was raised or because for a time I was living paycheck to paycheck or if it’s because I have three kids (and hence, eventually will have three tuitions to pay), but I don’t feel wealthy yet. Maybe it’s because I live in an affluent suburb of a big city and most of my neighbors seem to be doing really well. I don’t know. Have you run across other folks like this?

I think that many of us feel like Logan - the answer to the above question is this - More than I currently have.

For us, Rich people are always someone else!

That person in our neighborhood who has the biggest house, the most toys, and multiple vacation homes.

Or the celebrities who spend exorbitant amounts of money on stupid things...Nicholas Cage allegedly spent $276,000 on a stolen dinosaur skull...Celine Dion reportedly spent $2 million on a customized humidifier system for her dressing room to maintain her vocals...and Lady Gaga supposedly spent $50,000 on an EMF meter and other gear to detect ghosts.

For most of us, those are the rich people, and we rarely see ourselves as rich.

But did you know, that if you live in United States of America, and you make between $38k and $40k and above, you are within the top 20% of wage earners in the world!

In other words...you are rich!

Now...let me share something important with all of you rich people

1 Timothy 6:17–19 “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.”

Truths for Rich people...honestly...these are truths for everybody!

Don’t be proud and put your trust in money.

Is there any amount of money that can protect you from all the things that this world will throw at you?

Nope...can’t buy your health...can’t stop tornadoes or house fires...can’t protect your marriage...etc.

Trust God!

He has given us the greatest riches of all! Jesus Christ!

Instead of trying to “Get Rich”, choose to BE RICH!

Do good...BE RICH in good deeds

Share with others

We all know, that this is what really matters!

Have you ever gone to a funeral where the officiant gets up and talks about how much money the person made in their life?

Nope...he’ll about goodness, generosity, kindness, thoughtfulness, and character, but if the only thing that a person does in his/her life is make money, that will be short funeral, because there won’t be much to say!

So I just want to end by reading the passage one more time!

1 Timothy 6:17–19 “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.”

My final encouragement to you:

BE RICH!