Do You Hate Rich People?

Your attitude toward the wealthy says more about you than it does about them.

What thought comes to mind when you see someone who obviously has more money than you? If it’s something along the lines of “I hate rich people,” there’s trouble brewing in your heart.

Money can make slaves of all of us. And the dangers extend beyond debt and poverty . When money affects the way that you think about and relate to other people, you have become a slave.

Timothy Keller preached a great sermon called “Treasure vs. Money” that made some great points the power of money slavery in our lives. One of the ways we can check our hearts for trouble with money, Keller says, is to examine the way we see wealthy people to see if are any negative thoughts arise.

Let’s go through that exercise today. A lot of folks hate rich people, and that reflects poorly on what’s going on inside them.

So, do you hate rich people too? Here are five common attitudes to look out for.

1) Envy

Rich people make a lot of us envious. We imagine them eating in fine restaurant, living in mansions and flying around the globe on private jets. And most of us would love to live that way too.

But envy is dangerous, because it makes us ungrateful. And when you’re trapped in envy, you probably can’t even see the blessings you already have.

We should all admire the success of people who have worked hard to attain it. But envying their possessions will only lead you to hate rich people. And no good can come of that.

2) Anger

Maybe you don’t feel envious about rich people. Maybe you’re just mad at them.

If you work hard and think that you still can’t get ahead in life, seeing other people living in prosperity can drive you crazy. Or maybe you get mad thinking about the money the wealthy have when there is so much poverty in the world.

We should all do our part to alleviate poverty. But God doesn’t give us permission to be angry at other people for having wealth. And He certainly doesn’t give us permission to hate rich people.

If you feel angry toward the rich, your problem likely has more to do with your own discontentment than anything someone else has done wrong.

3) Inferiority

Nobody wins the comparison game, but it seems like everyone wants to play. If you derive your identity from comparing your wealth to that of others, you’ll feel inferior to people with more money than you.

This is a tragic way to live. Don’t hate rich people because they make you feel inferior. Instead, focus on finding your identity in something more eternal.

You are valuable because God created you in His image. He loves you so much that He sacrificed His own son to spend eternity with you.

Feeling smaller than someone else because of the money don’t have robs you of the eternal purpose God made you for.

4) Superiority

Not everyone feels inferior to the rich — some of us actually feel superior to them.

Maybe you think rich people don’t have the work ethic, the street smarts or the  character that comes from your working-class upbringing. Perhaps you believe wealthy people all steal and lie their way into riches.

The truth is that most wealthy people made their money by taking risks and working incredibly hard to become successful. And even if they haven’t, they are not inferior to you.

We are all sinners, after all. And the only thing that saves you from your sin is the redeeming love of Christ. When we see ourselves from God’s perspective, it’s impossible to feel truly superior to anyone else, no matter how much or how little money they have.

5) Detachment

Maybe you don’t feel anything toward the rich. In fact, maybe you feel so far removed from them that you think that they don’t matter. It’s like they live on another planet. It would be easy to pass your whole life without paying them any attention.

But wealthy people are all around us, even when we don’t recognize them. Their wealth is an important part of making our society run. And they have a lot to teach us if we’re willing to learn from them.

Detaching yourself from wealthy people robs you of the chance to benefit from their contributions to society. In the end, the only person that loses is you.

If any of these attitudes sounds familiar to you, it may be a sign that money has a grip on your heart. Learn to see the wealthy the way that God sees them, and you’ll begin to experience true financial freedom.