Many centuries before personal finance YouTubers warned about the dangers of “lifestyle inflation”, James wrote a letter warning of adopting a lifestyle of “luxury and self-indulgence”.

1. Lifestyle inflation

Lifestyle inflation is the idea that, over time (and especially if your income goes up) you feel that you need more and more expensive things and experiences.

I have certainly been guilty of lifestyle inflation in the past. My personal interpretation of this now is that buying things that are good (or “premium”) quality – that is to say, they won’t wear out – is fine. But we should be wary of things that count as luxury.

I think Christians generally have taken this teaching seriously. Witness the amount of Marks & Spencer clothing being worn in a typical church congregation – as opposed to designer items – and that feels to me how it should be.

In James 5, the half-brother of Jesus addresses rich people with unfair attitudes to money, saying that a time will come when moths will have eaten the fine clothes and the wealth will have otherwise rotten. He warns against the rich who have “fattened yourselves”, which D.A. Carson says “vividly condemns” them “for selfishly using their resources on themselves and failing to share them with others”.

2. Businesses have different types of morality

A few years ago I was invited out to lunch by the boss of a supplier at work. He bragged that he had first become a multi-millionaire through a a big lie he told. He was very proud of lying his way to success.

The fact is that businesses have different types of morality. Witness the scandals over the decades, where fraud and greed at Worldcom and Enron brought down two massive businesses. On the other hand, we have huge numbers of decent companies who treat customers and staff well.

James criticises employers who treat their workers shambolically.

3. Patience in the face of suffering

James 5 then moves onto the topic of patience despite lots of suffering.

Instead, James 5 verses 9 to 19 combine the themes of suffering, prayers for health and, right at the end, of helping people who have gone astray to continue following God.

What is not saying is that Christianity offers us a magic wand where whatever we want will be granted. Christianity is not a get rich quick scheme, it does not teach a prosperity gospel and does not mean we will necessarily be healed of our afflictions in this life. That’s why he talks of “patience in the face of suffering”.