Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly. John 7:24 (NLT)
I travel a lot and enjoy meeting new people along the way. One day, I had a great conversation with a lady who was sitting beside me on a plane. She was very well dressed and well-spoken, and as we talked I found out that she held a prominent position in a very large, successful company. Actually, I discovered later that she was in the top two percent of the wealthiest people in her country.
As we talked, the topic of faith came up and she mentioned that she was a Christian, but that she couldn’t stand going to church.
It’s so unfortunate that she felt she couldn’t find a church she could really belong to in her part of the world. Actually, I’ve often heard this sort of comment from very successful people. It’s not that she loved money more than she loved Jesus. She didn’t feel she could belong because of the judgment she faced from other Christians.
Many churches have taken on the idea that poverty is godly. As a result, successful people face judgment that turns them away. Meanwhile, some of the wealthiest people I know are also the most generous. And on the other hand, some of those who have the most trouble with money are the most consumed with it. So, I wonder…who is most in love with money–a wealthy person who loves to bless others with their finances, or a person with average finances who makes every decision based on money and won’t give away a penny?
We have to make sure we don’t judge people. A person’s income has nothing to do with what’s going on in their heart. Let’s make sure that our churches make everyone feel that they can belong.