What Have You Got To Lose?

“A certain rich man” was the subject of Jesus’ lesson on greed in Luke 12:14-21. The options available, he said, were to either “eat, drink and be merry” or “get serious with God.” All the in-between stuff is simply an attempt to hope for a grading on the curve. Paul the Apostle reiterates this message in 1 Cor. 15:32. Here’s the bottom line; "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." That’s a quote from Augustine of Hippo, circa 398 AD. Yeah, he was a smart guy but he wasn’t the first to figure this out. Solomon, the King of Israel worked out the same supposition after a life of trying to have it ‘his’ way. The endgame discovered by this wisest of all people? “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” (Eccl 1:2)
Mostly, we are under the mistaken notion that what will make us happy, satisfied and complete is making that promotion, triumph with that romantic ideal, gaining the respect of the gang, losing the weight, earning the degree, closing the deal, or winning the lottery. Though these are not intrinsically bad things, they ultimately fail to give us what we hope and expect. Why is this? It’s because of the design specification articulated by Augustine. We were made for God. All the seeking and salivating for other things that take the place that belongs to Him alone is what the Bible calls idolatry.
There’s another myth that needs to be debunked along the way. The idea that “seeking first the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33) means moving into a cloister, wearing sack cloth, and eating bread and water is not only incorrect it is antithetical to the command of Jesus as He gave His final instructions before his ascension. Rather than “hunker down” and “circle the wagons” our real mission is to do the exact opposite . . . “go out into the world” (Matt. 28:19) Equally, the expectation to do without that romantic hopeful or that pay raise to help meet the mortgage, is pointless. The truth is God is more aware of your needs than you are and indeed wants to meet those needs. In fact, that Matthew 6:33 verse makes it plain that all these things (our needs) are added unto to us when we put Him first.
So, what does it profit us to ask the “things” in our life to do for us what only God can do? When we exalt those things, put them on pedestals, sings songs about them, bow down to them, we make them into the idols mentioned in Ex. 20:3. Yet, when we acknowledge their presence and place them at the altar of our God seated above them, the order of design blossoms into purpose peace . . . that “peace which transcends all understanding.” (Phil 4:7) So, if you’re wondering why you have met most of your objectives, realized most of your ambitions, made as much money as you expected, and married the companion of your dreams (or not) and still are struggling with peace and contentment, try thinking about asking God to be your God and reorder your altar set up. And if you’re tentative about your prospects, check this out. God said it’s OK to test Him in this. (Mal. 3:10) What have you got to lose but your own misery and confusion?

Some Trust in Chariots

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7) Try any channel on the TV dial today and you’ll eventually hear a commercial encouraging you to make your financial investment in gold. The pitch, regardless of the pitchman, makes the case that we are in dire economic times and gold is the one sure hedge against the enemies of the nest egg. The truth is the American collective wealth has plummeted a couple of trillion dollars in the past few years and probably everyone with a 401k, IRA or some other savings or reserve fund, including equity in their home, has lost a “huge chunk” of it, if not all of it. With that weighing on peoples’ psyche, the commercial suggests that placing one’s financial trust in the safety of gold is the wisest move possible.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’” (Luke 14:28-30) How unwise it is to not prepare for the future. We are counseled to build our house on the rock lest the storm wash it away. This is not just Biblical advice; it is a good practical prescription for any endeavor. So, investing in gold, say, as opposed to the stock market, or Treasury notes, or savings bonds, etc. is likely to be a prudent practical investment strategy considering the times. Yet the Bible is loaded with examples of how the ancient Hebrews resisted the advice of the prophets to trust in God first for their welfare rather than on the arm of man. God never said not to sow and reap. He said “You shall have not other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3) He never said, ‘gold is bad . . . you should not have any.’ No. In fact, when they left Egypt He loaded them up with Egyptian gold. All He asked was ‘put Me first!’ And that’s what's missing from these gold commercials. We are encouraged to believe that if we convert our investments from other things to gold we will be secure. For those who are making this move without placing God first in their lives, they can be assured it will be insufficient. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."