From Rags to Riches

Early on in my childhood days, my mother had an old sewing machine and loved to sew.  She made several of the shirts I wore to save money.  I also had hand-me-downs from friends and extended family members that Mom was always grateful for.

The clothes were nice and not rags, for which she was thankful.  I, on the other hand, may have turned them into rags, while playing outside in the dirt, wrestling with my neighborhood buddies and crawling around on my hands and knees playing army.

Oh yes, let’s not forget about those grassy hillsides that I slid down, with large pieces of cardboard under my bum.  It was so much fun I never worried about the clothes I was wearing.  I remember Mom sewing denim patches on the knees of my play-jeans, because of the holes I put in them.

Mom did her best to keep me dressed nicely, especially if there was enough money left from Dad’s limited income.  That’s just the way life was back then.  I wore what I was blessed with, and life went on.

My parents did what they could, with what they had.  One thing is certain, they gave me the necessities of life.  What more could I ask for?  But like most kids my age, I did ask, yet neither of them spoiled me with unnecessary things that I wanted, because they had to watch every expenditure to raise four kids and just survive.

It was that tough, and heart wrenching when I think about it.  Perhaps this is why I’m taken aback at how many children, today, are spoiled beyond what they need. 

Many of them receive just about everything they want, and then some, because Mommy gives it to them and believes that they “deserve” to relate to the “In” crowd at school, notwithstanding, needing all the new fads and certain fashion statements they “should” have.

Forgive me.  I guess I’m being a little facetious.  Without a doubt, I am old-fashioned in my thinking, with old-school ideals, and perhaps mentally reaching for an explanation to help me understand the complexities of new parenting philosophies that are prevalent today.

The reality of the following thought is an eye opener when I think about it.  There are children and adults, from every walk of life, that are happy to have any kind of clothing at all, because of the poverty level they are in.  The rags on their backs speak loudly of the harsh reality of genuine needs that exist throughout the world. 

To compare this observation, I would be considered, by those less fortunate, as being well-off and rich as a child growing up and blessed beyond measure with the hand-me-down clothing I received, compared to the lack that poverty brings. 

I’ve been talking about the material aspects of rags to riches, but the spiritual realm relating to rags is most important to focus on.  Rags are mentioned in the Bible, which is related to one’s relationship with God.  It points us in the direction of awareness when dealing with self-righteousness and how it relates to Him.

God considers our righteousness as filthy rags.  This sounds cold and a bit harsh, but the Bible is quite specific when it says in (Romans 3:23), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  No-one can find favor with Almighty God in their own perfection.

(Isaiah 64:6), “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness’s are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

The Bible says in (Romans 3:10), As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one.”  There was only One, perfect man that walked the earth.  His name was Jesus, and still is the Son of the true and living God.

All of humanity is far from perfect, but sadly, there are those that think they can attain perfection and achieve high status and favor with God through their own good works and being a good person.  This sounds enticing and somewhat feasible, but I would encourage you to not allow people with this mindset to tickle your ears with untruths.

(Ephesians 2:8,9), “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,“ (v 9) “not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

(Acts 4:12), “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

God accepts and recognizes those that have been born-again and cleansed from their sins.  God sees them through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for their redemption.

Everyone is born with the sin nature, and because of this, they need a Savior to bring them out of poverty (sin) into the riches of God’s glory (forgiveness).  My desire is that the following invitation be the focal point of this writing.

I want to invite you to take off the rags of unrighteousness (sin) and give them to Jesus and allow Him to drape the garments of holiness around you.  God made it easy for humankind to become His sons and daughters by simply asking God to forgive them of their sins.  That’s it.  It’s that easy.

When you sincerely ask the Lord to come into your heart, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit make their abode within you, never to remember your sins against you again.  You have just stepped out of the rags of poverty and sin, into the riches of God’s glory—from rags to riches.

Congratulations!  You are now a part of the family of God.  The old nature (rags) is no longer shrouding your shoulders, because all things have become new (riches) through Christ Jesus our Lord.  No longer do you have a heart of stone; you now have a heart of flesh that God can mold into His likeness.

I can honestly say that I came from rags to riches when I met the Lord.  He gave me the richness of sonship free of charge.  It didn’t cost me anything because Jesus paid the price for my sins on the cross of Calvary.

Jesus gave His life that we could have life and life more abundantly.  He threw the rags of my discord and sin into the sea of His forgetfulness.  Thank you, God, for the blessed hope that I now have of eternal life in heaven.  You too can thank Him for the same hope.

Written by,

Papa Boyd