The Poor of the World are Rich in Faith - James 2:5-9

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

To be poor of this world is almost a requirement to be rich in faith. I'm not necessarily talking about physical possessions, I'm talking about priorities. Remember that "... the love of money is the root of all evil."(1 Timothy 6:10) and "the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word..." (Matthew 13:22) Now, having sufficient for our needs is no sin, it is only when our focus is on material things that we are in danger of losing faith.

Brigham Young said:

...it is a folly for a man to love gold and silver, goods and chattels, or any other kind of property and possessions. One that places his affections upon such things does not understand that they are made for the comfort of the creature, and not for his adoration.

And yet we are so often prone to "adore" our possessions. How much time do we spend picking out a smartphone, selecting a new watch, a new car and insuring those possessions? We even aspire to insure against death... (as if that were possible). The bulk of our lives are spent in procuring and seeking to "enjoy" wealth. We go to school, intending to gain knowledge, and yet somewhere along the way our intent gets converted into "making a living". Once we land a job, we are inundated with deadlines, brown nosing and climbing the corporate ladder. We spend more time "supporting a family" than we do spending time with them.

Don't get me wrong, we absolutely must support ourselves by work. Indeed, it is an important part of His plan - "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground" (Genesis 3:19). Paul also says: "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." (1 Timothy 5:8) Indeed, we must have material things in order to provide a stable life for ourselves and our families. It is a catch-22. We have to have some wealth in order to accomplish the purpose of our life, and yet we must be immune to its corrosive effects. It is a rather cleverly devised test of priorities and faith.

So we must work and obtain wealth for various reasons, but what should we work for? Here are a few hints:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:23-26)

But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish. (2 Nephi 26:31)

...if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ... But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:30-33)

And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted. (Jacob 2:19)

Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich. (D&C 6:7)

For true seekers of faith; seeking after riches is not an option. Money and material possessions are only a means to an end, they do not bring happiness, but are a necessity to obtaining the great riches He has in store for us. It is simply a question of priorities: Are you looking for credit and personal gain, or are you looking for the kingdom of God?

Jesus told the rich man: If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. (Matthew 19:21) I believe we miss out on great blessings when we hoard our excess wealth. If we have faith, we trust that He will take care of us; and by being generous with our excess to those in need we obtain even greater treasures - treasures in heaven. We'll find that there are really hidden treasures available when we truly care nothing for the things of this world. And once we can accomplish that, we can cease to worry about them because: "all these things shall be added unto [us]."(Matthew 6:33)