Many people find it easier to go to a consistent extreme than to remain at the center of biblical tension. In the book of Proverbs we’re introduced to an individual named Agur whose name means gatherer. Perhaps he was a compiler of wise sayings and when it comes to the topic of riches, he presented a golden mean to guide our practice:

Two things I have asked of You; do not refuse me before I die: keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, so that I will not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” And that I will not become impoverished and steal, and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9)

We can infer that this was an important topic to Agur as he desired an answer before he died. He realized the dangerous and insidious nature of rationalization as he prayed to keep deception and lies from him. A common weakness of mankind is our tendency to rationalize our fleshly desires. It can be easy to blame outward circumstances and rationalize our behavior rather than to take responsibility for our actions.

As we consider this request, we may wonder why he didn’t ask for wisdom in stewarding his finances. Agur most likely realized the frailty of his willpower so he asked for a healthy balance. Wisdom teaches us that money is a good servant, but it makes a terrible master. He also realized the incredible power of temptation. His request is reminiscent of Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).

This passage reveals the danger of too much money – as we place our trust in riches, then we may ignore the Lord. People have a tendency to forget about God when times are going well. This was a recurring theme in the Old Testament. When times are difficult we cry out to God for deliverance, but when the trouble subsides, we have a tendency to forgot about God. History teaches us that hard times produce strong men and strong men create good times. Good times however, create weak men and weak men then lead to hard times and the cycle repeats.

The author realized the need to focus on the essentials of life. We have a tendency to confuse our wants with our needs. Epictetus wisely remarked, “Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”

Agur knew that he needed God’s help with regard to his finances. What is your outlook toward your finances? This passage reveals a truism that people can usually tolerate adversity, but if you want to test their character, give them prosperity. Prosperity has probably ruined more people than poverty. May we follow the wisdom of Agur with regard to our riches.