Is wealth and sacrificial giving mutually exclusive?

As important as sacrificial giving is, it is not a sin to be wealthy. God gives each of us gifts and purpose. For some, God has given the gift of making lots of money - someone has to give large amounts to fund the great commission! But, it is important for all levels of income to give as well.

Consider the following from the Crown Financial web site:

In Luke 16, Jesus tells the story of a rich man and a man named Lazarus. The Bible does not teach that it is a sin to be wealthy, nor was the rich man condemned simply because he had much. The rich man was punished because he put his faith in his possessions, not in God. He is an example of someone living in Man’s Economy, where wealth, power, and possessions are the goals. He missed a great opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life, to serve God, and to live in God’s Economy, where peace, joy, and eternal blessings are given. We can learn an important lesson about generosity from this story.

The temptation to put your faith in your possessions is greater as your possessions increase; however, I believe all of us (even those with few possessions) must be on guard to keep our faith in the Lord - to live in God's economy rather than man's economy.