”To the rich [ones] in the now age be commanding not to being conceited nor to have hoped upon uncertainty of riches but rather upon God the [One] providing to us all things richly unto enjoyment.”
-What gives me hope for the future? Where is my hope? Wealth? Material prosperity, while affording the ability to afford greater quantities of temporal enjoyment (as it were), brings with it two native downsides. A double-dip downer. Two pitfalls, if you will. Conceit, and misplaced hope.
-This word for conceit in the Greek refers to a mind which has been exalted to a height above were it should be. Self-exalted, really. I am more important, I am better somehow, I am more deserving (whether because I managed to acquire said wealth or because I simply now possess more than the poor chap next to me). It elevates the ego, to where I am thinking more of myself than I ought. I can lose sight of reality, who/what I really am apart from the grace of God. Because God Himself shows no partiality. Not an ounce. Wealth does not commend me to Him, neither does it offend Him. It can be useful, and it can be destructive, but with the Lord mostly it is a non-starter. He doesn’t care how much wealth I have - He cares about what I do with all however much He has entrusted to me, whether much or a mite. But this is precisely what I am prone to forget when my proverbial cup doth runneth over. I forget who I really am. When I am in a place of having no physical needs (or fewer of them), and feeling less needy, I forget my need for Him. And I forget Him. Not always, of course. But the danger exists, lurking in the shadows, tucked away somewhere in my fat, bloated wallet. The destruction of my soul lurks, frequenting that dark back alley right around the corner of Wall St and Madison Ave.
-The other pitfall which can accompany material prosperity is misplaced hope. And in the end, hope is about joy. That on which I set my hope is what I have decided will make me happy and ultimately satisfied. I am willing to wait for it - but hopefully not too long. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. But hope realized is totally what makes my heart happy. So the question then becomes, what is promising to make me happy? Fame and fortune? Truly, are not they not fleeting at best? They are fickle masters - and they will never satisfy. They will never provide lasting happiness. Riches allow me greater access to the stuff of this world, to those things which are nicer. And we begin to think, I enjoy this. And gosh-darn-it, I deserve this. Happiness and high-mindedness. I could get used to this - and we do. We feel less needy - and we like it that way. We don’t want to feel needy - not in our flesh. No one likes to feel needy - UNLESS that neediness is a direct re-direct to the Source. THE Source. God - the One Who richly supplies with all things to enjoy. Beginning (and ending) with Himself. All these things we think we want, all these things we think we need in order to make us happy - He is the Source. They come from the Source, and (should) point us back to the Source. Which of course points out that He is both the Source and the Destination. We come back to Him in gratitude, certainly. But also in dependence. And in perspective. When I am keeping in mind that God is the Source, it keeps my mind at the proper height. Keeps me in my place. It levels the playing field. We’re all what we are by the grace of God, and whatever we have He has freely given to us to be enjoyed with grateful - and humble - hearts. But wait - there’s more. Next verse...
No comments:
Post a Comment