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by Bill Seng

"Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin." ~Habakkuk 2:9

These days it is really hard to know who you can trust. Everyone claims they are looking out for you, when in reality some of them desire to exploit you for their own gain. During this political season we are reminded as a country how we are all created equal, but certain people are created MORE equal. You might here accusations from candidates, one against another, of being friends with wall street, big oil, or big banks. You want someone with power and authority to look out for you, but so many people seem to only be looking out for their own at your expense.

Do you remember the House bank scandal? Of course you don't! It was in the 90's and you were probably either too young to care or to remember. The House bank scandal was created by members of Congress. They would write checks for large sums of money that did not exist in their accounts. Some congressmen would be overdrawn by tens of thousands of dollars and not be held accountable for their overdrafts. The money that they were taking from the bank was given to them at the tax payers' expense. Once they were exposed, many were quick to apologize, but their trust was already exhausted in the scandal and they ended up getting voted out of office in droves.

There are consequences for exploiting people for money. There are many pranks you can pull on a person and they'll let it go quickly, but if you mess with someone's money, you won't make it far before they catch you. There is a class of people, not just here in America but everywhere in the world, that is untouchable to the lower classes. The greedy and corrupt in the United States look like kittens compared to some of the people overseas. At times it appears that they get away with all of the evil they do.

God does not turn a blind eye toward exploitation. The more evil they do, the more wrath they will incur on their day of judgment. The Lord watches after the weak and powerless. He is an advocate for them. Do you remember Osama Bin Laden? Not only was he a despicable terrorist, he also exploited children. He would threaten their lives to get them to turn against their families and use them to accomplish evil deeds. He got away with it for a while, but the Lord paid him back for his wickedness and then some.

Making an honest living is one of the most commendable things in God's eyes. We were designed to work. The Apostle Paul was a tent maker, Luke was a physician, and they encouraged others to work with their hands. If you don't work you won't eat (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15). Everything was supposed to be fair and just. It is criminal to not pay your workers their wages. Making and having money is not evil; it is making it through dishonesty and exploitation that God hates.

Many people have fallen prey to the deceitfulness of wealth. They put their trust and hope in it instead of the One who granted them their earnings. We need to strive toward making honest livings. Don't rely on the exploitation of others to secure your happiness, it will lead to ruin. Sometimes the richest people are also the poorest because they forget the One who created them.

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