This morning as I was driving into work I heard a news story about the Wall Street protesters claiming they were the 99% and they were railing against the overpaid Wall Street executives and CEO’s who were the 1%.  Now I am not in favor of exorbitant salaries although I believe people should be fairly and justly compensated for their work. 

When you compare your salary with someone who makes more than you do you’re going to feel like the victim.  How would the protesters feel if they compared themselves with the 2.7 billion people who are living on less than $2 a day, and 1.1 billion people who are living on less than $1 a day?   It seems myopic and ethnocentric to compare yourself with the rich so you can feel like the victim.  I doubt that some of the people in the two-thirds world have much sympathy for the economic plight of some of the protesters.

You can always find someone who makes more than you and you can always find someone who makes less than you.  The question is, “Are you content with what you have?”  The Apostle Paul said, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (Philippians 4:11).  He clarifies what constitutes contentment in 1 Timothy 6:8, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”  Most of us have food and clothing – for example, when is the last time you involuntarily went to bed hungry?  According the globalrichlist.com if you make $50,000 or more you are in the top 1% in the world – perhaps some of the Wall Street protesters need to include themselves in the 1%.

The writer of Hebrews tells us how we can be content, “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU” (Hebrews 13:5).  Don’t get sidetracked with the love of money, keep your eyes on Him and He will provide what you need.