Cheaters Always Prosper (For A Season)
Posted by:
Bible Blogger on
January 22, 2007 at
6:57PM EST
As you saw from other blogs, I live in the part of the country that was
devastated by the ice storms. Entire communities are still without
power even a week and a half after the storm. Thousands are in
emergency shelters because their homes are little more than iceboxes.
Some people haven't had clean drinking water in their areas since the
storm first hit the area. Some elderly people have been sleeping and
living in their cold homes because they had nowhere else to go.
(Strangely, George Clooney's not organizing a telethon to help the
needy of our area. I guess the hungry, homeless, broke and broken
people of Missouri don't matter as much to him...but I digress...)
One of the horrible situations you find when a disaster strikes are
people so enamored with greed they try to take advantage of desperate
people. These are the people who rush to an area without drinkable
water and sell gallon jugs for ten dollars each. One man actually
tried to sell power generators that cost $700 under normal
circumstances for over $2,500. (He actually sold a few before the
police caught wind of it and he had to skip town.)
If you're like me then it bothers you there are people out there taking
advantage of people in need this way. When you hear those folks
spewing their "it's just supply and demand!" excuses you want to walk
over and show them what you had for lunch a few hours ago. Our human
nature sees them as some of the most vile people you've met and you get
even more angry when you think they're getting away with their scams!
Well, take heart in something:
"Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom
of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who
worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice
homosexuality, 10
or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or
cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God." (1
Corinthians 6:9-10 NLT)
I always laughed when I hear someone say that cheaters never win.
That's not entirely accurate because in the short term that's exactly
what happens for them. Just like the people who are taking advantage
of the needy by gouging them for money, cheaters do prosper in the
short term. Some even prosper until their days on the earth come to an
end.
It's important to remember that in the end they have to stand before
God and have account for themselves. These people will in the end
always lose because they put their desires of money or flesh or self
ahead of the calling of God in their lives. The money they gouge or
the pleasures they feel won't mean a thing in the scope of eternity in
hell.
We as believers also have a responsibility to alter our focus as well
when it comes to people like I've mentioned. We need to stop looking
upon them with scorn and disgust and realize their actions are just a
symptom of really needing a close relationship with Jesus Christ. We
need to show love and respect to them as God's creations while at the
same time correcting them for their horrific behavior.
I know it's not going to be easy to do. I know I'm not there yet. Still...that's where we need to go. Want to join me? 
