How to Be Rich by Andy Stanley

This small book teaches that all Americans are rich, as we live in the richest country in the world in the richest time in history. No matter how little we have, if we have enough money to buy a book, we are ahead of the vast majority of the world’s peoples. Once we understand that, we can consider the question of how to handle our wealth. Stanley addresses wealth from a biblical perspective, instructing us not to put our trust and confidence in wealth; those things should rest in God. To inoculate ourselves from the fear of losing wealth, we should practice generosity. The author says we should make this a priority, start by giving a percentage, and continue throughout our lives to progressively increase. The bottom line is to honor God with the resources He entrusts to us. Andy Stanley supplies some very practical pointers in avoiding the traps of, for example, affluenza, such as intentionally limiting our awareness of new products, as marketing is designed to create an appetite in us. Once you step on the treadmill with something new, it is difficult not to want to continually upgrade as new and better models are released. This book is well supported by biblical references. It is thought provoking and countercultural, even counterintuitive, but it is spot on. I recommend it. I received this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review through the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze Program.