Proverbs 13:7-9 (ESV)
7 One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
8 The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,
but a poor man hears no threat.
9 The light of the righteous rejoices,
but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
Sometimes because of a passion to impress others, the poor will do whatever they can to appear rich, living above their means and purchasing expensive items. At the same time, without a desire to share or give from the resources God has blessed them with, sometimes the wealthy pretend to lack wealth. Both are equally wrong. The rich will part with their resources if they feel their lives are in danger. A bribe cannot threaten the poor, because they have nothing to offer. The righteous await a kingdom of never-ending bliss, but the wicked only have judgment before them. We can try to hide our financial status out of self-preservation. Either we have too little and are ashamed, or we have too much and are afraid others will take what we have. But God knows what resources he has allotted to each of us. Let’s not put up any false fronts concerning our wealth. Let’s live simply, and be generous.