Pretend Money

(Pro 13:7 KJV) There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.

This verse is not about money.  It is about attitude.  The second reference “poor” (7326) is the clue.  It generally means poor in the sense that we think of it but in this form of the Hebrew, called the Hithpolel, evidently means to “impoverish himself”.  It is a deliberate act.  That is why the translations include “pretends” in the NASB And “maketh himself” in the KJV. 

I would take from this that if money is your god and you set your cap on it, the attitude will eventually ruin your life.  If you use your wealth to serve others without being consumed by dollar signs, you will be blessed.

So?  I am not sure how that works out in our mortgaged, car payment, college tuition world, but I think we need to do some serious thinking as Americans about what our priorities are.