Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you. James 5:3-6 NIV
I must confess my pursuit of pleasure verses pursuing God, pleasure often won. This is a sign of the end times. God is not impressed with our pursuit of luxury and riches. My pursuit of the luxury and riches made me unavailable to God. The terrible prophesy of the end of the age is only mirroring the pursuits of the the world. Have any of us considered why it is so difficult to follow Christ? Perhaps our comfort and wealth have replaced the voice of the loving God, who gave his best for you and me.
Jesus is God’s best. Jesus’ value is infinite. His place in heaven is the highest. He is Love and gives love on an infinite scale. This is whom Christians have placed our hope in. The gods of excess, status, and comfort cover the pure light of Jesus. My worldly dreams ought be dashed and destroyed, in light of Jesus’ commandments and fellowship. Cars, houses, and the pursuit of pleasure are distractions and strongholds of the enemy.
Statistics on the gap between the wealthy and the poor all point to a disregard for our poorest neighbors and an obsession with the material wealth pursuits. The rich are not the only ones blinded by the pursuit of wealth and luxury in this age. The poor and displaced people are often whipped into frenzies of discontent over their lack of wealth and luxury. The tragedy of pursuing the unprecedented wealth in the world has caused families and whole nations to disconnect from the virtues of their culture and consequently lose the noble life of an industrious yet contented common life. The violence and destruction in the wake of the poor and disenfranchised is evil and sad. Jesus knew poverty and lack as he walked on earth. He never let this lack dissuade him from his mission.
We are often moved off the path by worldly pursuits. If God is aware of our needs and promised to provide as we pursue the Kingdom of God, why do we behave like He can’t be trusted? I found myself subtly drawn away from obedience by the rugged independence of my American culture. This is where I missed God’s Holy Spirit gently cautioning me. God must be given room to rule over our financial pursuits. The desperation in the world is because we have come to realize (or we will soon realize) the unstable nature of our personal economy. People of faith ought to be peculiarly confident in the face of money highs and lows. Let’s hope in God, not money.
Look around and see all the pursuits and material wealth and repeat the verse atop this blog. God is able to keep us in the path despite our constant wondering eyes. God helped us and is with us who believe. Be encouraged my friend. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 NIV
Constance 