James 1:10
[10] “But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.”
Poverty is not a sign of spirituality, any more than riches are a sign of sinfulness. This is not how the Lord measures men, and we should not either. Evil men are going to practice their evil ways regardless of whether they are rich or poor. A child of God that is right with his Heavenly Father will serve him, whether he is rich or poor.
However, we must not be fooled by riches. The only real security they can bring someone is a false security. Riches can be here today and gone tomorrow. This is also true about those who possess them. The question on my mind is, how do rich people become poor?
Some rich people become poor because they waste it. They have no discipline or common sense when it comes to spending. They may be rich, but they are poor stewards of what God has given them. Others lose their riches to tragedy, or things beyond their control. Circumstances can rob them of their wealth.
There are those that forsake their riches. They walk away from them to live a life of poverty, for a greater cause. We have all read of great missionaries who left family wealth, and forsook lucrative careers, to do the will of God. Then there are those who disobeyed the will of God. They chose a different path, and God chastised them with the loss of riches.
Finally, think of those who obtained wealth all of their life. They never knew poverty or hardship. They enjoyed a life of plenty, but one day death came calling, and they left it all behind. The truth of our text is that the rich die like the poor, and their riches are left behind. We are passing through this life and our soul, and the souls we lead to Jesus, is all we can take with us.