And a final word to you arrogant rich: Take some lessons in lament. You’ll need buckets for the tears when the crash comes upon you. Your money is corrupt and your fine clothes stink. Your greedy luxuries are a cancer in your gut, destroying your life from within. You thought you were piling up wealth. What you’ve piled up is judgment. All the workers you’ve exploited and cheated cry out for judgment. The groans of the workers you used and abused are a roar in the ears of the Master Avenger. You’ve looted the earth and lived it up. But all you’ll have to show for it is a fatter than usual corpse. In fact, what you’ve done is condemn and murder perfectly good persons, who stand there and take it. (James 5:1-6. MSG)
Speaking your mind, was a gift that James most definitely had. You would almost believe that James was talking to the 21st century, corporate America. The Christian needs to be careful and know and invest wisely, making certain that their money is not invested in any of the following;
1. Damage to the Environment: Deforestation of rainforest in order to plant palms for palm oil. Fracking that poisons the water aquifer, or open cast mining that destroys the environment.
2. Exploiting the workforce: Minimum wage job, poor working conditions, and child labor.
3. Unfair trading practices: You might pay nine or ten dollars for an average packet of coffee. The coffee growers only get pennies on the dollar.
God will have the final word, and the rich man or woman will leave here with nothing more than a large casket for their fat bodies according to James.
Better to store up treasures in heaven where moth and rust can’t eat it away.
