With this chapter lets start in the middle.
Verse 9-11: "What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time." (NIV)
The burden here is our toil, or work. We read in Chapter 2 that we should enjoy our work. We talked about a gift from God being the ability to use our gifts for our vocation. This is no different. Because the author remindsd us that God made everything beautiful in it's time. That's kind of important. Not in our time but God's.
It's hard sometimes to see the point of the path we are on. This life is truly a journey. It is a journey from here to there....from birth to a second birth. In the thick of it sometimes I can't see that though. It feels like a lot of running around for no gain.
Verse 14: "I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him." (NIV)
This is our journey to do with as we wish. That is the gift of free will. However, verse 14 seems to suggest that God's purpose is fulfilled in our journey with whatever we choose. We choose our path but not God's plan. As I write that I imagine what life would look like if our collective journey was in line with God's purpose. I think that's the idea. We have free will to choose and if we choose to follow the Father things work out much better. We grease the machine...so to speak.
This takes me back to the first eight verses in this chapter. The "everything" section. Every time I read those verses I hear, "To everything turn, turn, turn. There is a season turn..." great song. Great verses.
This section is a profound dichotomy. The yin and yang if you will. On this hand we have one thing and on the other hand another thing. We struggle today to be grey. Ever heard that? "It's a grey area." NO! Anything but grey! Get me far away from that place. I leased a place in the land of blah. Didn't like it.
Life is lived in the differences. Wisdom is gained from understanding this and that. But it is important to realize different is good. Not for the sake of being different but for the sake of being you. Feel, live, laugh, cry...just do it from the core.
That's what I get when I read those verses. God has created everything and every emotion. That says to me that everything is valid and from God in it's time.
So today I pray for you a rich journey with brilliant colors.
Gods Speed,Greg
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Ecclesiastes 2
What encouragement we find in Chapter 2!
In the beginning the author is looking for pleasure. This is a man...a king who has at his disposal all things. His flesh can be pleasured in any number of ways. As we read the beginning we see that is exactly what the wise King Solomon did.
Verses 1-3: "I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?" I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives." (NIV)
Here he realizes life is short and he is looking for something good. At first blush one can read these few verses and say, "I have never had great riches at my disposal so I cannot relate." This is untrue. We have all chased after pleasures to a greater or lesser degree. My young life was about that very thing for a good many years. In the end I felt what I believe all have or will...emptiness.
The next section, if you will, He has moved on to labor and work to find fulfillment. Not in the peace of working at whatever for the Glory of God, but working for the glory, satisfaction and pleasure of self.
Verses 4-7: "I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me." (NIV)
His conclusion to all of this is found in verse 11 where Solomon states that it was all chasing after the wind...meaningless.
In all of this I see the stages many of us go through. At this point I picture a modern-day man in his 30s or 40s. He looks around and says, "Wow! Look at the years I have been alive and what have I done?"
Like many Solomon concludes he hates life. (v. 17) Ever been there? Finally, however, his wisdom shows through as we conclude this ride.
Verses 24-26: "A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness..." (NIV)
In my mind and life I see verse 24 as finding pleasure in the simple things in life. A cool fall day, the laughter of my son, sitting on my boat, playing catch, drinking coffee on the back patio with my wife, building a bookcase. These are the things that are of life. And we read above that this is from the Hand of God. So, we praise and thank God and live his truth to the best of our ability and we find these simple pleasures all around...as if they suddenly popped up.
I stress to my sons to chose their work based on their God-given gifts and what they enjoy...not where the money is. I tell them from experience that no one finds lasting pleasure in work that is chosen based on income and that it will inevitably lead to a prison. I tell them it is chasing after the wind.
Gods Speed,Greg
In the beginning the author is looking for pleasure. This is a man...a king who has at his disposal all things. His flesh can be pleasured in any number of ways. As we read the beginning we see that is exactly what the wise King Solomon did.
Verses 1-3: "I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?" I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives." (NIV)
Here he realizes life is short and he is looking for something good. At first blush one can read these few verses and say, "I have never had great riches at my disposal so I cannot relate." This is untrue. We have all chased after pleasures to a greater or lesser degree. My young life was about that very thing for a good many years. In the end I felt what I believe all have or will...emptiness.
The next section, if you will, He has moved on to labor and work to find fulfillment. Not in the peace of working at whatever for the Glory of God, but working for the glory, satisfaction and pleasure of self.
Verses 4-7: "I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me." (NIV)
His conclusion to all of this is found in verse 11 where Solomon states that it was all chasing after the wind...meaningless.
In all of this I see the stages many of us go through. At this point I picture a modern-day man in his 30s or 40s. He looks around and says, "Wow! Look at the years I have been alive and what have I done?"
Like many Solomon concludes he hates life. (v. 17) Ever been there? Finally, however, his wisdom shows through as we conclude this ride.
Verses 24-26: "A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness..." (NIV)
In my mind and life I see verse 24 as finding pleasure in the simple things in life. A cool fall day, the laughter of my son, sitting on my boat, playing catch, drinking coffee on the back patio with my wife, building a bookcase. These are the things that are of life. And we read above that this is from the Hand of God. So, we praise and thank God and live his truth to the best of our ability and we find these simple pleasures all around...as if they suddenly popped up.
I stress to my sons to chose their work based on their God-given gifts and what they enjoy...not where the money is. I tell them from experience that no one finds lasting pleasure in work that is chosen based on income and that it will inevitably lead to a prison. I tell them it is chasing after the wind.
Gods Speed,Greg
Monday, September 10, 2007
Ecclesiastes 1
After a couple of weeks stewing on Proverbs I realized I needed to move on. Something was stirring in me and I didn't know what. Not quite discontent and not quite sadness. Maybe just confusion. I decided to take time to process before going back at Proverbs.
I spent the last week on vacation from my regular job and working with a friend building a dock. It was a great time working with two other Christians. It was a great time working.
I then spent Saturday with my kids and father down at a lake in Clinton Indiana. That was good and peaceful in spite of the rain. Then Saturday night me and the kids watched a movie called, "Facing Giants".
Now some of the dialogue was wodden and the acting wasn't fantastic but man what a story! The backdrop was a football coach and team but it was a Christian movie with Christian themes, lots of prayer and Biblical truth. I sat there for a while after the kids were in bed Saturday night realizing what was missing.
See, I am in a place in recovery and life now where the demons of the past aren't as scary as they once were. I'm calmer. I think I have better direction but I wonder. I realized sitting there in the rocker that I feel somewhat disconntected from God these days. Not in a dire way but on a deep and spiritual level. Well, having gone through Proverbs with all of you I decided to move on to other writings of Soloman. I went next to the book of Ecclesiastes. This is where we are today.
The first chapter starts off with a bang. He announces who he is in the first verse and then drops the hammer.
Verse 2: "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." (NIV)
At least it felt like the hammer fell.
He goes on to talk about the cycles of the Earth and life but in a very resigned voice.He has seen it all before. "Been there, done that." We hit a cresendo with verse 11: There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow." (NIV)
I have to be honest with you here...I was pretty exhausted when I got to this point in the chapter. But as I read on I realized it isn't dire or even upsetting. It's true but not with a spirit of resignation. It's true with hope because of the rest of the truth.
The last verse states, "For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." (NIV)
The truth is that it does. Part of wisdom is the knowledge of good and evil. We have both but some of us to a greater or lesser degree than others. But we learn and grow through experience and life and time.
See, wisdom and knowledge are important are important but without love of God and one another it doesn't matter. Chrst told someone that who was questioning Him about the most important commandment.
The balance I came to in the reading of Chapter One is that most of the journey here really is "chasing after the wind" but that the emptiness of growing and experiencing and learning can be quelled with Love.
Gods Speed,
Greg
I spent the last week on vacation from my regular job and working with a friend building a dock. It was a great time working with two other Christians. It was a great time working.
I then spent Saturday with my kids and father down at a lake in Clinton Indiana. That was good and peaceful in spite of the rain. Then Saturday night me and the kids watched a movie called, "Facing Giants".
Now some of the dialogue was wodden and the acting wasn't fantastic but man what a story! The backdrop was a football coach and team but it was a Christian movie with Christian themes, lots of prayer and Biblical truth. I sat there for a while after the kids were in bed Saturday night realizing what was missing.
See, I am in a place in recovery and life now where the demons of the past aren't as scary as they once were. I'm calmer. I think I have better direction but I wonder. I realized sitting there in the rocker that I feel somewhat disconntected from God these days. Not in a dire way but on a deep and spiritual level. Well, having gone through Proverbs with all of you I decided to move on to other writings of Soloman. I went next to the book of Ecclesiastes. This is where we are today.
The first chapter starts off with a bang. He announces who he is in the first verse and then drops the hammer.
Verse 2: "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." (NIV)
At least it felt like the hammer fell.
He goes on to talk about the cycles of the Earth and life but in a very resigned voice.He has seen it all before. "Been there, done that." We hit a cresendo with verse 11: There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow." (NIV)
I have to be honest with you here...I was pretty exhausted when I got to this point in the chapter. But as I read on I realized it isn't dire or even upsetting. It's true but not with a spirit of resignation. It's true with hope because of the rest of the truth.
The last verse states, "For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." (NIV)
The truth is that it does. Part of wisdom is the knowledge of good and evil. We have both but some of us to a greater or lesser degree than others. But we learn and grow through experience and life and time.
See, wisdom and knowledge are important are important but without love of God and one another it doesn't matter. Chrst told someone that who was questioning Him about the most important commandment.
The balance I came to in the reading of Chapter One is that most of the journey here really is "chasing after the wind" but that the emptiness of growing and experiencing and learning can be quelled with Love.
Gods Speed,
Greg
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Proverbs in General
Well, we've gotten through the book of Proverbs. It is my plan to start at Proverbs ` on September 1st and go through, start to finish, one more time. This time I want to develop the concepts and thoughts a little more. I also want to dig a little deeper into the complimenting concepts of each chapter.
But, to sum up my thoughts thus far in Proverbs, do the right thing. That's it. God has given each of us a sense of right and wrong. He also gave us free will. Things run a lot smoother when we use our free will to take the right path.
Proverbs tells us what happens if we take the wrong path. In that sense it is very simple. It becomes complicated when we stir in our experiences in this fallen world and the temptation Satan puts in front of us each day. Note that I said Satan tempts us, not controls us.
See, one area many Christians fall short in is the concept that Satan somehow makes us do things we don't want to do. I have used that in my past. But, that is false. Satan has no more control over our free will than God. At the end of the day, whether we listen to the Holy Spirit suggesting the right path or Satan suggesting the wrong path it is still up to us to turn one way or the other.
I watched "Scent of a Woman" last night. As with all Al Pacino movies he has a few solid speaches. At one point he says, "I have always known what was right...without exception. I always chose what was wrong."
Sounds strangely like something Paul wrote...
The point is we are a creation of God and His spirit and power are in us. It is for this reason that the book of Proverbs speaks to our core. The entire book is nothing short of words to live by.
Gods Speed,
Greg
But, to sum up my thoughts thus far in Proverbs, do the right thing. That's it. God has given each of us a sense of right and wrong. He also gave us free will. Things run a lot smoother when we use our free will to take the right path.
Proverbs tells us what happens if we take the wrong path. In that sense it is very simple. It becomes complicated when we stir in our experiences in this fallen world and the temptation Satan puts in front of us each day. Note that I said Satan tempts us, not controls us.
See, one area many Christians fall short in is the concept that Satan somehow makes us do things we don't want to do. I have used that in my past. But, that is false. Satan has no more control over our free will than God. At the end of the day, whether we listen to the Holy Spirit suggesting the right path or Satan suggesting the wrong path it is still up to us to turn one way or the other.
I watched "Scent of a Woman" last night. As with all Al Pacino movies he has a few solid speaches. At one point he says, "I have always known what was right...without exception. I always chose what was wrong."
Sounds strangely like something Paul wrote...
The point is we are a creation of God and His spirit and power are in us. It is for this reason that the book of Proverbs speaks to our core. The entire book is nothing short of words to live by.
Gods Speed,
Greg
Monday, August 27, 2007
Proverbs 27
Verse 1: Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. (NIV)
We have cycled through the book of Proverbs. I have missed a couple of days recently...maybe you have too. But this verse speaks volumes to me today. What will a day bring? I have no idea.
Yesterday I was riding with a friend I have known since grade school. We were talking about our 20th anniversary next summer. The question was put to me.
"Are you where you thought you'd be when we graduated?"
I laughed. "Yup," I said, "I fully expected to be living in a duplex in Plainfield and selling lumber for a living."We both laughed.
Don't misunderstand. I don't have 20 years full of regret. I have had some interesting experiences along the way. I have a beautiful wife, three amazing kids, my health, both of my parents and close relationships with both of my brothers. All is not bad...many things are good. But to say I am doing what I was made to do or what I planned to do in the summer of 1988 would be a lie.
I was to be a writer. I watched Dances With Wolves and went to the prairie to write a novel. Not exactly what happened.
In retrospect I can see the turning points in much of this journey. The catalyst for certain decisions I made then is very clear now. That's why the first verse of this chapter speaks to me so strongly.
My wife and I were talking the other night about our plan to get debt free the other night. She has stepped up like no other I know of. First a part time job, then two, plus getting the kids off to school, homework when they get off the bus and all the other stuff she does. But in that conversation we talked about the second job I am starting, the salary cuts where I work, side jobs, the budget, the plan...
The cool thing is we both realized how fast it all could change. Not in a dire way...in a good way. She's doing make up artist work. She has completed a wedding and has leads for more...that could turn into who knows what. I am desperately trying to find time to write a book and then someone to publish it.
What if one of those things hits? We're staring down this MASSIVE student loan debt I hold and wondering, when we get to it, how we will ever pay it off. All of the planning and working and everything else and it may happen in a way we can't possibly even imagine today.
That's what verse one is about...it's about life. It's about today. It's about right now. I'm not talking about a living-for-the-moment thinking here. I am talking about taking care of today bacause that's all we can do.
It's amazing how much pressure is relieved when I focus on today and leave yesterday where it is and leave tomorrow where it is until it becomes today.
Gods Speed,
Greg
We have cycled through the book of Proverbs. I have missed a couple of days recently...maybe you have too. But this verse speaks volumes to me today. What will a day bring? I have no idea.
Yesterday I was riding with a friend I have known since grade school. We were talking about our 20th anniversary next summer. The question was put to me.
"Are you where you thought you'd be when we graduated?"
I laughed. "Yup," I said, "I fully expected to be living in a duplex in Plainfield and selling lumber for a living."We both laughed.
Don't misunderstand. I don't have 20 years full of regret. I have had some interesting experiences along the way. I have a beautiful wife, three amazing kids, my health, both of my parents and close relationships with both of my brothers. All is not bad...many things are good. But to say I am doing what I was made to do or what I planned to do in the summer of 1988 would be a lie.
I was to be a writer. I watched Dances With Wolves and went to the prairie to write a novel. Not exactly what happened.
In retrospect I can see the turning points in much of this journey. The catalyst for certain decisions I made then is very clear now. That's why the first verse of this chapter speaks to me so strongly.
My wife and I were talking the other night about our plan to get debt free the other night. She has stepped up like no other I know of. First a part time job, then two, plus getting the kids off to school, homework when they get off the bus and all the other stuff she does. But in that conversation we talked about the second job I am starting, the salary cuts where I work, side jobs, the budget, the plan...
The cool thing is we both realized how fast it all could change. Not in a dire way...in a good way. She's doing make up artist work. She has completed a wedding and has leads for more...that could turn into who knows what. I am desperately trying to find time to write a book and then someone to publish it.
What if one of those things hits? We're staring down this MASSIVE student loan debt I hold and wondering, when we get to it, how we will ever pay it off. All of the planning and working and everything else and it may happen in a way we can't possibly even imagine today.
That's what verse one is about...it's about life. It's about today. It's about right now. I'm not talking about a living-for-the-moment thinking here. I am talking about taking care of today bacause that's all we can do.
It's amazing how much pressure is relieved when I focus on today and leave yesterday where it is and leave tomorrow where it is until it becomes today.
Gods Speed,
Greg
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Proverbs 23
I was reminded the other day of one of Satan’s favorite tools…regret. I was watching “High School Musical II” with the wife and kids the other night and it made me very sad. At first I had no idea why but then I realized it’s been 19 years since high school for me and the road did not go the direction I intended.
I typical Disney style everything works out in the end. That’s one of the things I truly enjoy about many of Disney’s products. But watching that I thought of my own plans when I graduated high school. That is where the regret set in.
Verse 17: Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. (NIV)
That was a big problem for me in school. I envied the rebels. I lashed out and lived in a way that is counterintuitive to God’s plan and, therefore, can produce no lasting happiness.
I hurt many people along my path and have the scars from the hurt I caused myself. That is where the regret comes in. Some people have said to me, “Man I wish would have gotten out there and experienced life. You’re life has been so interesting.”
I don’t understand that. I mean, I get the grass-is-greener thing. I get the idea that running all over the country, living different places and, as one guy put it, “having different adventures” seems fun…like a movie. But it also produced pain.
I have to fight back those feelings and reflect on the words of the next verse.
Verse 18: There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. (NIV)
There it is. Did you see it? There IS future hope for me! But how is that possible? It is possible by living right in the present.
God didn’t want me to take all the turns I have in this journey. That was my choice. God didn’t punish me for those choices either. He did let me suffer the consequences for my actions. And God doesn’t want me to suffer inside for the wrongs I have done. His Grace covers ALL.
The fact is God can use me and my experiences to do the work He has called me to do. It may take a while to dig out of the wreckage of my choices, but God will use that experience to help others. This is true for each of us.
Satan wants us to linger over past wrongs. God wants us to confess, repent and move on.
Verse 23: Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding. (NIV)
So, despite my faults and misdeeds I am in the market today for wisdom, discipline and understanding. I will say it again; God didn’t want any of us to make the bad choices and mistakes we have made. But, on the other side of those choices God does want us to grow in wisdom and understanding to help others.
Richard Bach in his book Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah says, “Here is a test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't.”
So, if you are reading this you’re work here isn’t done. No matter what you’ve done, who you were or what happened to you God will forgive you and set you to a purpose of His design. And when we find ourselves in a place in time where we are truly in harmony with our creator then, and only then, will we experience true peace.
Gods Speed,
Greg
I typical Disney style everything works out in the end. That’s one of the things I truly enjoy about many of Disney’s products. But watching that I thought of my own plans when I graduated high school. That is where the regret set in.
Verse 17: Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. (NIV)
That was a big problem for me in school. I envied the rebels. I lashed out and lived in a way that is counterintuitive to God’s plan and, therefore, can produce no lasting happiness.
I hurt many people along my path and have the scars from the hurt I caused myself. That is where the regret comes in. Some people have said to me, “Man I wish would have gotten out there and experienced life. You’re life has been so interesting.”
I don’t understand that. I mean, I get the grass-is-greener thing. I get the idea that running all over the country, living different places and, as one guy put it, “having different adventures” seems fun…like a movie. But it also produced pain.
I have to fight back those feelings and reflect on the words of the next verse.
Verse 18: There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. (NIV)
There it is. Did you see it? There IS future hope for me! But how is that possible? It is possible by living right in the present.
God didn’t want me to take all the turns I have in this journey. That was my choice. God didn’t punish me for those choices either. He did let me suffer the consequences for my actions. And God doesn’t want me to suffer inside for the wrongs I have done. His Grace covers ALL.
The fact is God can use me and my experiences to do the work He has called me to do. It may take a while to dig out of the wreckage of my choices, but God will use that experience to help others. This is true for each of us.
Satan wants us to linger over past wrongs. God wants us to confess, repent and move on.
Verse 23: Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding. (NIV)
So, despite my faults and misdeeds I am in the market today for wisdom, discipline and understanding. I will say it again; God didn’t want any of us to make the bad choices and mistakes we have made. But, on the other side of those choices God does want us to grow in wisdom and understanding to help others.
Richard Bach in his book Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah says, “Here is a test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't.”
So, if you are reading this you’re work here isn’t done. No matter what you’ve done, who you were or what happened to you God will forgive you and set you to a purpose of His design. And when we find ourselves in a place in time where we are truly in harmony with our creator then, and only then, will we experience true peace.
Gods Speed,
Greg
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Proverbs 22
Several themes come up repeatedly in Proverbs…truly in the Bible. Money is one of the most popular subjects because it has both the power for much good and tremendous evil.
As a gun is only as dangerous as the person holding it, so too it is with money. Money can provide food and shelter but it can also satisfy our lusts and desires of the flesh. It can feed our vanity and quell our insecurities. In a society as shallow as ours is today it can provide a pretense for assessing our value and the value of others.
The 22nd chapter of Proverbs starts by slaying that pretense.
Verse 1: A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (NIV)
A discussion of what a “good name” really is could take up an entire chapter in and of itself. So, for our purposes today we will operate with under the assumption that most of us understand the concept of “good name”. Much like we understand the concept of freedom or liberty.
The point, I guess, is that character and how we interact with those around us is far more important than what we drive, where we live or how much we have in the bank. That’s not to say we should all live in old vans down by the river. But to say that money and the acquisition thereof shouldn’t be the priority.
Verse 7: The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.(NIV)
So, the rich get all that money from lending money to people that want to buy stuff they can’t afford and the way to stop that is to stop borrowing money to buy things you can’t afford. Man, I wish I would have gotten that a few years ago!
Think about the truth in that though. I am a slave to SallieMae, my van payment, etc. It’s pitiful. The fact is we could buy two vehicles for half of what we owe on our van. We don’t need it. We’d own a house today if it wasn’t for my student loans. I am a slave. A slave to a job that is not my calling but is based on financial need.
Sometimes that look in the mirror sucks!
But to those who have made their money the right way, through hard work and saving, Proverbs talks of their blessing.
Verse 9: A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
I read that verse and realize that there is absolutely no need for welfare, socialism or any of the government sponsored social programs. If we would live this principle of giving generously and helping those in need we would essentially take care of one another. Imagine each one of us bringing our gifts to the table to help one another.
Instead we are a society of debtors. Debtors whose main focus is the latest and newest thing. We spend what we don’t have and pay for what we spend several times over. The answer, like so many answers in this life, is so simple it hurts. If you can’t pay for it don’t buy it.
Verse 27: If you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.
I will never forget the night about five years ago we had a late-night knock at the door. We were broke. I had been “downsized” a little less than a year before and at that point we were up to our ears in debt. We tried hard to climb out of it but could not. See, we had become slaves.
Anyway, there was a knock at the door. Two guys stood on my porch. They were there to take my wife’s van but wanted to let us get the car seats out. Thoughtful of them I must admit. But, the point here is I bought that van for Stacey because the old van we bought for $1000 wasn’t good enough. I disguised it in my mind with thinking that is was about safety and reliability and all that. It was. But it was also about something else.
There in my drive stood two painful reminders of what happens if you have the lack of means to pay for something. They didn’t snatch our bed form under us that night…they took our van. So there I stood, two small children and a baby inside with my wife crying into my shirt. It was and will ever remain one of the most painful moments in my life. Not because of the van, but because my ignorance and arrogance had caused us so much pain.
We’ve talked about it before but just to hit that dead horse one more time…debt bad. Cash good.
Gods Speed,Greg
As a gun is only as dangerous as the person holding it, so too it is with money. Money can provide food and shelter but it can also satisfy our lusts and desires of the flesh. It can feed our vanity and quell our insecurities. In a society as shallow as ours is today it can provide a pretense for assessing our value and the value of others.
The 22nd chapter of Proverbs starts by slaying that pretense.
Verse 1: A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (NIV)
A discussion of what a “good name” really is could take up an entire chapter in and of itself. So, for our purposes today we will operate with under the assumption that most of us understand the concept of “good name”. Much like we understand the concept of freedom or liberty.
The point, I guess, is that character and how we interact with those around us is far more important than what we drive, where we live or how much we have in the bank. That’s not to say we should all live in old vans down by the river. But to say that money and the acquisition thereof shouldn’t be the priority.
Verse 7: The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.(NIV)
So, the rich get all that money from lending money to people that want to buy stuff they can’t afford and the way to stop that is to stop borrowing money to buy things you can’t afford. Man, I wish I would have gotten that a few years ago!
Think about the truth in that though. I am a slave to SallieMae, my van payment, etc. It’s pitiful. The fact is we could buy two vehicles for half of what we owe on our van. We don’t need it. We’d own a house today if it wasn’t for my student loans. I am a slave. A slave to a job that is not my calling but is based on financial need.
Sometimes that look in the mirror sucks!
But to those who have made their money the right way, through hard work and saving, Proverbs talks of their blessing.
Verse 9: A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
I read that verse and realize that there is absolutely no need for welfare, socialism or any of the government sponsored social programs. If we would live this principle of giving generously and helping those in need we would essentially take care of one another. Imagine each one of us bringing our gifts to the table to help one another.
Instead we are a society of debtors. Debtors whose main focus is the latest and newest thing. We spend what we don’t have and pay for what we spend several times over. The answer, like so many answers in this life, is so simple it hurts. If you can’t pay for it don’t buy it.
Verse 27: If you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.
I will never forget the night about five years ago we had a late-night knock at the door. We were broke. I had been “downsized” a little less than a year before and at that point we were up to our ears in debt. We tried hard to climb out of it but could not. See, we had become slaves.
Anyway, there was a knock at the door. Two guys stood on my porch. They were there to take my wife’s van but wanted to let us get the car seats out. Thoughtful of them I must admit. But, the point here is I bought that van for Stacey because the old van we bought for $1000 wasn’t good enough. I disguised it in my mind with thinking that is was about safety and reliability and all that. It was. But it was also about something else.
There in my drive stood two painful reminders of what happens if you have the lack of means to pay for something. They didn’t snatch our bed form under us that night…they took our van. So there I stood, two small children and a baby inside with my wife crying into my shirt. It was and will ever remain one of the most painful moments in my life. Not because of the van, but because my ignorance and arrogance had caused us so much pain.
We’ve talked about it before but just to hit that dead horse one more time…debt bad. Cash good.
Gods Speed,Greg
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