The distribution of wealth is arguably the most unfair thing in the world. The average income of people living in a developed country can be fifty times that of those in an undeveloped one. There are also people having money more than a million times the average of others.
     Is this because some people work harder than others? Not necessarily. People in a developed country work about eight hours a day in average, but they have comfortable lives due to the productivity of modern industry. People in an undeveloped country have to work all day to avoid starvation. Some people are lucky to inherit many properties and don’t have to work. Some people have to keep working hard to feed their families.
     For many people, losing $1,000 will cause regret for a month. However, there are some people earning $1,000 every hour. How has this become an issue to disturb our lives? Sometimes money relates to the fate of people. People have died because they didn’t have enough money to get suitable medication. People have committed suicide because they couldn’t pay their debt. Sometimes money is that important. Many people make their lives simpler by focusing on how to get more money.
     If the goal of the universe is to make people know God, does the distribution of wealth help to achieve this? The answer should be no. Clergies are not highly paid. Many missionaries live in poverty, because they want to be with people in poor countries. On the contrary, many people gain a lot of money through immoral methods, but they are not punished in this world. Many people enjoy wealthy lives, and don’t care anything about God.
     What is money that it causes such troubles and confusions? Money is nothing but a tool to measure and record the amount of service you have done in society. Society will serve you in return when you present money. Elementary economics tells us that if a person provides service of $2,000 value, he or she gets $1,000. I have an item worth $2,000 to someone, so she spends $1,000 to buy it from me. My efforts help someone earn $2,000, so he spends $1,000 to hire me. It’s the original meaning of money. If I want to get money, I have to endeavor to serve others in order to get the reward. Money is not something mysterious, nor is it an object to worship.
     The commandments, “You shall not steal,” and “You shall not covet,” relate to this issue. God knows exactly that the problem is not whether a person is rich or poor, but whether or not a person would harm others and become sinful in his or her heart. We need to use God’s word to resist the temptation of the world.
     Almost everyone faces challenges in trying to meet their needs. Some people have trouble finding jobs. Some people face hardships in their jobs. Some people experience unexpected events, costing them more than they can afford. For believers, these troubles can be viewed as God’s tools. People may learn how to rely on God in these cases. Challenges in life remind people to ask God for help. People who pray to God for help will know that he is faithful and helpful. They will know that God is true and powerful and that he cares.
     Generally speaking, there is no direct relationship between wealth and behavior. The more a person can satisfy the needs of others, the more he or she will have. It is just a rule of the scientific world, and God lets this rule work as do other rules. A person who doesn’t care about God may make a lot of money through hard work, or through improper means, and it is simply a result of economics. If a person gets money through improper means, God will punish him or her either in this life or the afterlife.
     The unfairness of the distribution of wealth seemingly has no meaning, except to tempt people to be covetous. However, it’s a parable given by God. God rewards people who work hard for making money, because he wants his children to work hard for a more important and meaningful purpose, bringing the good news to the world. Some people work overtime in their jobs. God rewards them with wealth, because he also expects Christians to devote their time in the same way to the kingdom of God. Some people have the ability to make thousands of times more money than the average person. God lets them have their possessions and enjoy enviable lives, because he also desires Christians to have the ability to convert thousands of unbelievers.
     Here is an example of people working hard for God’s kingdom. Many people choose to be missionaries in undeveloped countries. They have to face the barriers of language and culture. They have to find ways to earn their livings in a low income society and make friends with people of a different race. They have to run the risk of being persecuted by the government or other religious groups. Despite these hardships, they sacrifice themselves for people who have never heard of Jesus Christ.
     Here is another example of people working hard for God’s kingdom. Many Christians voluntarily work for churches. They normally hold full-time jobs and work as others do. After work, when others do things for pleasure, these Christians choose to serve churches or charitable institutions. They have to suffer more pressure and toil than others. They do this because they want to follow in Jesus’ steps. Christianity can’t develop without them.
     God designed the issue of work and money because he expects us become faithful and devoted Christians like the examples above. He created us as beings with material needs. We are required to work within the economic system to satisfy our needs. Money is the trading tool of the economic system. The ultimate goal of our life is not money. We must focus on more important things, like the word of God.

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