Wealth is not bad in itself. However, the gain-of or holding-onto wealth or maintaining wealth can create horrible problems in life. It can destroy relationships, hinder relationships, break relationships. it could cause us to downgrade others so that we do not build relationship. It can cause us to be preoccupied with things in our lives the things that we can buy or have instead of others who need us. It could cause us to become preoccupied with our pleasures.

Desires and preoccupations can destroy healthy priorities and perspectives. We see it all around us. I’ve met people in the business world who are all about power and money. I’ve seen great programs in school systems removed or degraded due to politics, money, or some kind of favoritism. We’ve all experienced it in the workplace because sacrificing to do the right thing or the best thing is uncomfortable and uncommon. Putting others first is not the natural thing to do.

Love always puts others first. It is an honor to see the gifts and talents of others and promote them instead of competing or trying to come out ahead of others. I have spent a fair amount of time being jealous of the many I see as more gifted than I am. That jealousy created grief in me as I felt bad about myself and frustrated with them. Slowly I’ve begun to learn better. The giftedness of others is a gift from God. To refuse it is to refuse Him to some degree. To accept it is to allow God to bless you through the gifts of others.

I began to show this knowledge in my classroom. I began to appreciate and show the students their gifts and abilities. It didn’t matter if I felt inadequate. It mattered that they were doing something original, creative, or manifesting some other praiseworthy value. The odd thing was that they began to give me credit for being better than I was. Suddenly I was heroic when I had done nothing but show them that God had not made a mistake creating them through their own show of talent.

My feelings of inadequacy diminished as I realized I had a talent to see and reflect to others the beauty God had created in them. The gifts of God build up and do not tear down. They strengthen and not weaken. JK Rowling was correct in her Harry Potter series when she indicated that love was more powerful than all mankind’s gifts and powers. We have the most extreme example of love in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He proved the love of God and proved that through His love, we had value, great value.