For a nation that likes to call itself a Christian one, America’s drive for financial success seems to present a behemoth contradiction. Matthew 19:24 is among the most familiar scriptures that speak to this dichotomy. “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (NIV). And then there is, “So the last shall be first, and the first last….” from Matthew 20:16. I’m no biblical scholar, but having done my share of time in Baptist pews, I easily recall stories of Jesus’ preference for the poor, and regular admonitions regarding the spiritual costs of wealth. This is the literal position found in the Bible. So where does that leave those of us who desire to flourish?

Read the complete article on page 49 in the latest issue of Flourish Digital Magazine.