I am afraid for what this means.
God is more interested in our holiness than in our comfort. He more greatly delights in the integrity and purity of his church than in the material well-being of its members. He shows himself more clearly to men and women who enjoy him and obey him than to men and women whose horizons revolve around good jobs, nice houses, and reasonable health. He is far more committed to building a corporate “temple’ in which his Spirit dwells than he is in preserving our reputations. He is more vitally disposed to display his grace than to flatter our intelligence. He is more concerned for justice than for our ease. He is more deeply committed to stretching our faith than our popularity. He prefers that his people live in disciplined gratitude and holy joy rather than in pushy self-reliance and glitzy happiness. He wants us to pursue daily death, not self-fulfillment, for the latter leads to death, while the former leads to life. —D.A. Carson
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Riches vs Contentedness
Riches and contentedness are like two buckets; while one comes up full the other goes down empty. —Thomas Adams
I've been struggling with this very problem for some time. I would exert that the riches Mr Adams is refering to here are material riches. In our world of prosperity, there seemingly is a loss of contentment. Everyone is coveting. To paraphrase John Calvin, the human heart is a factory creating idols. This strikes me with deeply. To think that John Calvin, who breathed his final breathe in 1564, and lived in a world depraved of massmedia, TVs, the interweb, and SPAM could see this so clearly startles me.
I have been blessed with much riches, but the correlation between riches and how I covet is overwhelming. I see contentedness as the absence of covetuousness. To be content is to be without want.
April is a bad time for coveting for me. As tax season is here and all the T4s and other financial statements have arrived the taxes are quickly calculated and the coveting begins. With a tidy little sum being owed to us(overpayment to our ungrateful government) I have already found ways to "divide and conquer" the sum. After all, if you buy it you no longer covet it right? Right, except that your heart just moves onto the next thing.
As if a hefty tax return isn't enought for my poor heart, spring brings upon me another reason to covet in that bike season is fast upon us! This is exciting! But as I wander down to the basement I realize that its going to take some cash to get them up and running again. I gave up buying parts based solely thier function long ago. Sure form meets function is great but I buy "bike bling". Parts that are far greater than my ability, far lighter than necessary and far more expensive that any rational man could rationalize. But a covetuous heart is not one where rationality and reason rule the day. Its just a gotta have it.
My heart is an idol factory.
So now with a tax return secured and myself on the cusp of bike season, I find myself coveting like mad, scouwering kijiji, craigslist amazon and other online retailers for all that which will not heal my heart, but breed continual discontent.
My lust list of material goods:
Acoustic Amp - preferably Traynor Studio
Singlespeed 29er
Fender Telecaster or preferably a Musicman Silhouette
Countless books
T-Shirt with caffiene molecule on it
12 string Taylor acoustic
Really comfy club chair for reading
A boxer puppy
Audi R8
Now, heres where discontent becomes a problem not a thing on this list is an essential need.
I have an acoustic guitar, it makes enough noise (proper word) already
I have 4 bikes, I don't need another.
I don't need an electric guitar, money would be better spent on lessons.
I have a mountain of books I haven't even read yet.
I have no shortage of t-shirts
I have a acoustic guitar, it only has 6 strings but exceeds my ability already
I have plenty of chairs, couches, beds, comfort is a want not a need
I already have the greatest boxer to roam the earth
I have a car, sure we only have one, its an 2003 that clunks and rattles but it gets us from point A to B and C and D and Chicago and whereever we want to go.
So here it is, everything on my list of wants are not needs. In fact all my needs are met and my wants were even met at one point as I have a car/puppy/guitar/books/bikes/house.
I am disheartened by the state of my heart. As the bucket of riches is drawn up, the bucket of contentment is going down empty. It seems to be a never ending struggle to find the balance between material wealth and contentment of the soul.
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21 NIV
or perhaps more direct and to the point same verse from the NLT
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.
We live in this world where we aren't seen as people of God but rather as consumers of stuff. We all have stuff, so much so that we all have basements/garages/sheds/walkin closets/off-site storage units to keep all our stuff. We buy bigger McMansions to house all our material treasures.
I remind myself of a story (Luke 18):
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.
The young is one leg, maybe two, up on me, he lived a pious life. I can't say that I have even remotely kept any of the commandments mentioned in verse 20. I would love to say that if Jesus told me to sell everything, I would. I think it fortunate that he hasn't told me directly as with this young man. But I marvel the in the advice given, it truly is timeless. I am having more and more difficulty dealing with the trappings of this "Can-american dream" society that envelopes me.
Continuing the story...
24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God
30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”
I know that even my driven intent to follow God with all my heart, soul and strength falls so short, and more often that not it would break the "thou shalt not bear false witness" to say that my intent is driven.
I am amazed how easily distracted I am, how even the slightest little thing can draw me from my pursuit of God. It is quite disturbing that you can shop online, while still half engaging in discussion, or watching your children. Whereas study of God requires a calmness, a quiet, a concerted effort, a dedication of your full attention. You can't go halfhearted in pursuit of God just as you can't halfass your relationship with your children, your wife or your friends if the relationship is to be healthy. To grow one must nurture. I am distressed at how the devil seemingly knows the failings of my character, my weakspot and signature sins. How to exploit me, distract me, and outright attack me. How to get me to long after more stuff to fill a hole with more emptiness and more pain. A hole of which there is only One that can fill.
There have been alot of things on my heart lately and sadly most of them scare the bejeebers out of me. That's probably a good thing, time will tell. The road to contentment is a long one.
"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Luke 16:13
I've been struggling with this very problem for some time. I would exert that the riches Mr Adams is refering to here are material riches. In our world of prosperity, there seemingly is a loss of contentment. Everyone is coveting. To paraphrase John Calvin, the human heart is a factory creating idols. This strikes me with deeply. To think that John Calvin, who breathed his final breathe in 1564, and lived in a world depraved of massmedia, TVs, the interweb, and SPAM could see this so clearly startles me.
I have been blessed with much riches, but the correlation between riches and how I covet is overwhelming. I see contentedness as the absence of covetuousness. To be content is to be without want.
April is a bad time for coveting for me. As tax season is here and all the T4s and other financial statements have arrived the taxes are quickly calculated and the coveting begins. With a tidy little sum being owed to us(overpayment to our ungrateful government) I have already found ways to "divide and conquer" the sum. After all, if you buy it you no longer covet it right? Right, except that your heart just moves onto the next thing.
As if a hefty tax return isn't enought for my poor heart, spring brings upon me another reason to covet in that bike season is fast upon us! This is exciting! But as I wander down to the basement I realize that its going to take some cash to get them up and running again. I gave up buying parts based solely thier function long ago. Sure form meets function is great but I buy "bike bling". Parts that are far greater than my ability, far lighter than necessary and far more expensive that any rational man could rationalize. But a covetuous heart is not one where rationality and reason rule the day. Its just a gotta have it.
My heart is an idol factory.
So now with a tax return secured and myself on the cusp of bike season, I find myself coveting like mad, scouwering kijiji, craigslist amazon and other online retailers for all that which will not heal my heart, but breed continual discontent.
My lust list of material goods:
Acoustic Amp - preferably Traynor Studio
Singlespeed 29er
Fender Telecaster or preferably a Musicman Silhouette
Countless books
T-Shirt with caffiene molecule on it
12 string Taylor acoustic
Really comfy club chair for reading
A boxer puppy
Audi R8
Now, heres where discontent becomes a problem not a thing on this list is an essential need.
I have an acoustic guitar, it makes enough noise (proper word) already
I have 4 bikes, I don't need another.
I don't need an electric guitar, money would be better spent on lessons.
I have a mountain of books I haven't even read yet.
I have no shortage of t-shirts
I have a acoustic guitar, it only has 6 strings but exceeds my ability already
I have plenty of chairs, couches, beds, comfort is a want not a need
I already have the greatest boxer to roam the earth
I have a car, sure we only have one, its an 2003 that clunks and rattles but it gets us from point A to B and C and D and Chicago and whereever we want to go.
So here it is, everything on my list of wants are not needs. In fact all my needs are met and my wants were even met at one point as I have a car/puppy/guitar/books/bikes/house.
I am disheartened by the state of my heart. As the bucket of riches is drawn up, the bucket of contentment is going down empty. It seems to be a never ending struggle to find the balance between material wealth and contentment of the soul.
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21 NIV
or perhaps more direct and to the point same verse from the NLT
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.
We live in this world where we aren't seen as people of God but rather as consumers of stuff. We all have stuff, so much so that we all have basements/garages/sheds/walkin closets/off-site storage units to keep all our stuff. We buy bigger McMansions to house all our material treasures.
I remind myself of a story (Luke 18):
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.
The young is one leg, maybe two, up on me, he lived a pious life. I can't say that I have even remotely kept any of the commandments mentioned in verse 20. I would love to say that if Jesus told me to sell everything, I would. I think it fortunate that he hasn't told me directly as with this young man. But I marvel the in the advice given, it truly is timeless. I am having more and more difficulty dealing with the trappings of this "Can-american dream" society that envelopes me.
Continuing the story...
24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God
30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”
I know that even my driven intent to follow God with all my heart, soul and strength falls so short, and more often that not it would break the "thou shalt not bear false witness" to say that my intent is driven.
I am amazed how easily distracted I am, how even the slightest little thing can draw me from my pursuit of God. It is quite disturbing that you can shop online, while still half engaging in discussion, or watching your children. Whereas study of God requires a calmness, a quiet, a concerted effort, a dedication of your full attention. You can't go halfhearted in pursuit of God just as you can't halfass your relationship with your children, your wife or your friends if the relationship is to be healthy. To grow one must nurture. I am distressed at how the devil seemingly knows the failings of my character, my weakspot and signature sins. How to exploit me, distract me, and outright attack me. How to get me to long after more stuff to fill a hole with more emptiness and more pain. A hole of which there is only One that can fill.
There have been alot of things on my heart lately and sadly most of them scare the bejeebers out of me. That's probably a good thing, time will tell. The road to contentment is a long one.
"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Luke 16:13
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