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No, not at all. One of the ways the ancient heresy of gnosticism continues to wreak havoc in our day is by encouraging us both to see the problem in things, and to see things as a problem. Consider greed. There is no question greed is a grievous sin, a sin to fear and to flee. The folly comes when we think greed grows in the fertile soil of having a lot. No, it grows out of the fertile soil of our own ingratitude. It may well be that a guy checking his Rolex watch driving a European sedan in his $3000 suit is greedy. It is just as likely, however, that the guy checking his Timex, riding the city bus in Goodwill sweats is greedy. By the way, most of us in between these two extremes, yeah, we\u2019re greedy too.<\/p>\n
We don\u2019t, however, slay the evil beast greed by getting rid of stuff. The Timex, the bus pass and the hand-me-downs didn\u2019t put a dent in the greed of the second guy. Greed is what happens when we live for the gifts rather than the Giver. It is the certain end of all those who seek their satisfaction in stuff.<\/p>\n
The greedy, and remember that\u2019s all of us to one damnable degree or another, are those who with parched throats race to the ocean\u2019s shore and begin to drink. We can\u2019t figure out why it won\u2019t quench our thirst and determine to drink more. We gulp and we grasp, drowning ourselves in the very thing that is killing us. Stuff is never evil. Seeking satisfaction in stuff is always evil. What the stuff is doesn\u2019t matter a bit.<\/p>\n
The solution isn\u2019t less stuff but more gratitude and more contentment. There is no virtue in either poverty or wealth. There is no need for shame or pride over what we have or what we don\u2019t have. It\u2019s true the Bible warns of the dangers that come with wealth. It\u2019s also true it warns of the dangers that come with poverty. (Before you think you\u2019re safe, you\u2019d be wise to remember that taking in all the people across the globe and across time, you\u2019re in the 1%.) It\u2019s true the Bible reminds us that ultimately God is the owner of all things, and we are but stewards. It\u2019s also true that that doesn\u2019t mean everything belongs to the false god of the world, the state. It doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m the steward of what He has placed under your care. Which does mean I should not sit in judgment. \u201cIf I had his money,\u201d said every self-deluded person ever, \u201cI\u2019d spend it on the needs of others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Give thanks to Him for all He has placed under your care. Care for it. Always, however, find your peace, your joy, your contentment by looking through it to Him. Do not turn up your nose at His good gifts. Do not ever lose sight that He is the good gift.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
No, not at all. One of the ways the ancient heresy of gnosticism continues to wreak havoc in our day is by encouraging us both to see the problem in things, and to see things as a problem. Consider greed. … Continue reading