The Rich List

Still on my break from the books, I thought I would share another encouragement piece.

Riches…The word provokes very strong emotions in people, for a number of obvious reasons.
Are you of the camp which believes you either are or you’re not rich?
Or maybe you think more expansively, believing that riches are subjective and mean different things to people, depending on geographic location, economic environment, culture or nationality.

Personally, we have constantly taught our 6 children and still teach the 5 who live with us, that riches need to be measured on a broader scale than what governments, financial institutions, educational institutions, the media, advertisers and big business would have us believe.
We have taught them that money is a tool to be used constructively, not an idol, to worship or be controlled by.
We have taught them that money isn’t evil or the cause of all evil, however, loving money more than people or anything else, definitely pushes individuals into doing wicked/evil things, in the pursuit of acquiring as much of it as they possibly can.
Also, if and when they become financially rich, that it carries a responsibility with it.
They shouldn’t let that responsibility consume them or become arrogant, worshippers of the finance or expect people to worship them.

Q) So what is being Rich? What does it look like? Is it dependant on your nationality? Do you have to live in a specific geographical location? Is it based on gender or ethnicity? Are you born into it? Can you only inherit it? Is it based on how much you earn from your work? Can it only be acquired by investing? Can you only really achieve it by criminal activity? Do you have to belong to a secret organisation/cult? Do you have to sell your soul?

A) The many types of riches, in no particular order(mostly).

Family/Relative Riches
Being born into a stable loving family, with husband and wife who are loving our parents (mum and dad) whether or not we have siblings, having family love reciprocated.

Friendship Riches
Having the ability to form good, close short-term & long-term, honest (brotherly and sisterly love) friendships.

Self-love Riches
Being able to be at peace and comfort in your own skin, loving yourself without arrogance, having the ability to genuinely enjoy being single.

Love, Relationship/Marital (Emotional) Riches
Being so emotionally balanced in the self-love department, having enough growth and balance, that you are able to open up to a life-time commitment with someone else.
When married, you have the assurance of a partner who is there for you as you are for them…real relationship riches.

Physical Health Riches
Having a healthy body, taking care of yourself by eating and drinking what’s good for you as well as sleeping well.

Mental Health Riches
Having a healthy mind, no deep routed fears or anxiety, no unforgivingness, no suicidal thoughts, no self-hatred, no paranoia and no issues with others which overly occupy your mind.

Physical Fitness Riches
Having a fit body of good healthy weight, making sure you get regular exercise.

Parental Riches – Having children
Being blessed with an ability to have, adopt or foster children.
Giving them a loving and healthy environment with principles, rules and boundaries and watching them grow and develop, taking all the things they have been taught and applying it to life.

Spiritual and Soul Riches
Having Salvation for your soul and developing a deep and personal relationship with Yeshua, which will spill over in all of your actions concerning others, whether they have what you have or not.

Peace of mind Riches (including Joy)
These riches are a combination of Mental, Spiritual and Emotional health.
This enables you to sleep safely and soundly at night, no nightmares, no paranoia, no fear of loosing the things you have or someone coming after you to harm or kill you.

Sex-Life Riches
Having riches in love, doesn’t automatically equate to having a fantastic sex-life.
These riches are not involved or concerning quantity, its all about quality and stability, being able to be loving, inventive and versatile enough to enjoy satisfactory love-making with your life-partner.

Freedom from materialism Riches
Those who have these riches are amongst are those who do not let their natural material circumstances to dent their holistic well being.
Having somewhere to sleep, having something to eat, having something to drink, being able to wash and having something to wear are riches enough.

Vision and Purpose Riches
Those who are blessed enough to know and understand their reason for ‘being’, their purpose.
This is usually combined with reviving or being given a vision, e.g. the vehicle for them to carry out that purpose.
Those who have these riches do not see their work as a job, or just to pay the bills, if they are really blessed they also get paid to do what they do but would happily do it without receiving any payment.

Charitable Riches
The ability to freely give your time, skills, any services or goods for the need and helps of others.
Can also include the ability to give financial assistance to others.

Material Riches
Properties, Business, cars, jewellery and an ability to go on holidays as and when you want to.

Financial Riches
Having enough finances (money) to be able to pay all your bills, while still having a remaining amount to be able to save, invest or donate to help the poor.

Some of the above riches are obviously connected, however, it’s obvious that being “rich” is a lot more than the last two in the list.
Ironically, a large number of people are very limited in their view concerning what riches are.
That’s partly not their fault, as the in-place systems of the world, places emphasis on acquiring “things” as well as paying for nearly everything.
A solution to understanding, freeing ourselves and helping ourselves to become ‘richer’ where it really counts, would be to re-evaluate our lives and place less emphasis on acquiring things which are not necessary for our lives.
A seismic shift in society will only occur if a large number of people receive that revelation and put practical plans in action ‘together’.

Arguably, it could be said that those who have the Material and Financial riches usually have an absence of the rest, but as with everything in life, that is not true in every case.
There is also an argument that having Spiritual and Soul riches automatically adds a few of the other riches to an individual.

To reiterate, money is a tool (a resource), it’s important for daily living but should we be so obsessed with it, to the point that we lack or overlook other important areas of our lives, due to never having enough finance?
That’s obviously a question we all have to ask ourselves.
As for me, I’m glad, grateful and I thank God, that I’m rich in most of the areas listed.

Lastly, just remember, the next time you hear someone declare they are rich, don’t assume that they necessarily mean materially or financially rich.