Many Christians scoff at people with wealth, assuming thy obtained it dishonestly. Somehow there is an underlying current that assumes you cannot serve God & mammon and that is true. But are all wealthy people serving mammon? Or could some be obeying and serving God and inspired to create and accumulate wealth for a worthy purpose? If you look at life as a process of growth and Heaven being the ultimate end, then the process of becoming rich or richer as you age, is a noble cause. If you are growing in Spirit, preparing for Heaven, then you should aspire to grow in wealth. Why? The process matures a person and prepares them for heaven. Having more wealth necessitates increased responsibility to serve others, offer employment, contribute to charities and offer hope to the poor that they can advance in material prosperity as well; and complimentary to that fact show the poor that they can advance toward Heaven as well.
In the parable of the man who finds hidden treasure, the person expresses joy in finding it. There is no shame to acquire prosperity in the bible; in fact it is an honoured pursuit. This is especially evident in the Old Testament where earning profits appears to be a sign of righteous living. Alternatively, in the culture of the West the past 50 years, it seems shameful or materialistic to proclaim desire for material wealth and comfort. I believe this ethic has evolved from the post Baby Boomer generation who believe they have and will have less than their parents and in defiant anger create a value system that shames people who overtly pursue wealth for gain. Yet time and again the Bible shows us that gain is good.
