Christians may wonder why all the hoopla over the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki on my blog. As I demonstrated in my three-part series on that book, the not-so-subtle message of Kiyosaki is pure greed built on a shaky foundation of deception and the twisting of biblical principles. That should be enough evidence for anyone to steer clear, but even more so for Christians and the churches, bookstores, and homeschool vendors who minister to them.
Slippery Slope
Some, however, are of the opinion that you can just take the good (what little there is) and leave the bad. If life were only that simple! We may as well ask God if just a "little bit" of sin is okay.
Shouldn't our response be something more like David's in Psalm 101:3?
"I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me." [emphasis added]
What we read and digest has an impact on our thinking and behavior. Even Kiyosaki believes that. Most of us would not be too eager to drink water tainted with poison. Likewise we should not ingest the world's values through what we read, no matter how "inspiring" or "good" it makes us feel.
A Brother Goes Astray
Consider the case of a Christian brother who emailed me from Singapore recently. He began reading Rich Dad Poor Dad because he was struggling with money and didn't feel he had enough. He felt God led him to this book which he "devoured." But he also imbibed something else along with Kiyosaki's dubious financial teachings and it fastened its grip on him quickly:
"Later I realised that the values taught in the book influenced me to become greedy for money, and attaining financial freedom became the first of my priorities, not God. My priority became to make $4 million so I can retire comfortably on the passive income it can generate. And if there was a lazy way to do it, all the better."
The greed was already there but the book added fuel to the fire. This can be dangerous as Paul noted in I Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang." [emphasis added]
Don't take the risk. You may not escape the flames you ignite.
Putting Things in Perspective
There is nothing wrong with wealth, whether that be $4 million or $4 billion. There is nothing wrong with financial freedom, retiring comfortably, or passive income. These things are a blessing from God that He may well provide. But they become a curse when they are exalted above God and take His rightful place in our lives. That's exactly what happens when you feed the monster known as greed. It fastens its grip, consumes your being, and is still not satisfied.
Fortunately, this man was able to break free.
"I thank God for the wisdom on money that He has given me now, but I'm slowly learning that our purpose on Earth is not to make money but to serve others and bring them with us into heaven. I still struggle with my priorities sometimes, but God used Kiyosaki's book to teach me something, that financial freedom must not become our god. We can never become secure in money, ever. That God has a way to make it disappear if He so chooses. I hope I've learnt my lesson well." [emphasis added]
I'd say he's learned his lesson well. He learned from his mistakes and humbled himself before the Lord. When forced to choose between storing up treasure on earth or in heaven, he wisely chose the latter. That's a lesson we can all take to heart. Keep up the good work my friend!
In this case, God turned a book Satan used for evil into good.
How many instead unwittingly drink Kiyosaki's poison and pursue greed to their own destruction? Probably more than we care to know. How sad. Don't let greed fasten its grip in the first place. You may not be able to pry it off later.
Related Tags: finance, greed, money, Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad Poor Dad, biblical financial principles
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