Jehovah witness, Mormons, Seventh day Adventist, universalism, unity doctrine, new age, the list of cults, according to the scholars is increasing drastically. A great amount of time and effort has been spent on scrutinizing them and bullet proofing the original ‘Christian’ doctrine. I am not a cult specialist, but I observe a not-much-addressed cult called – the cult of success.
Child care, old age care, health care, education, church and pretty much everything in this materialistic world is coming under the category of enterprise and success is measured on the scale of money, profit, building and head count. And as a result, we lose the sweetness of relationship, authenticity and love in all these aspects.
The ‘success demon’ enters our brain during the childhood of our life. Parents give us the first dose of pills to make up our mind to succeed in education, then in career, in family life and so forth. In the Christian ministry, the phrases such as ‘successful minister’ or ‘successful ministry’ or ‘successful author and speaker’ are not uncommon at all. How do they measure success? By counting the people, equipments, buildings, media coverage, circulation of books etc.
Tomas Merton once said, "Be anything you like, be madmen, drunks,... but at all cost avoid one thing: 'success'." We live in a depraved world where our success is determined by the type of car, size of home and title of job.
I used to get excited by news such as Bible is America's favorite book , but not anymore, even if it is considered as a Christian or Evangelical success. I can very well get a doctorate in Biblical knowledge and still live without any clue what the Gospel of Jesus Christ really means. So why are we boastful that Bible is still the best selling book in the world? That means nothing, unless we understand the meaning of Bible passages and find the Person it points to, not just the history, literature, poetry, moral standards and principles. We have countless number of seminaries all around the world, which are supposedly producing ‘disciples’, but the sad truth is that we seldom see such kind. Instead we see puffed up knowledge and intellectualism and an increased desire to use godliness as a means of financial gain (1 Timothy 6). Brennan Manning once said, "as systematic theology advances, the sense of wonder declines."
During the time of Jesus, the Pharisees were considered as successful people. They were successful in keeping the law of God and imposing it on others. They earned the respect and admiration of society which ultimately made them the most prideful people who ever lived on the earth. Their success mesmerized them and they kept the unsuccessful people (tax collectors, prostitutes, gentiles) distant away.
Living selflessly may not necessarily bring the ‘success’ as the world sees it. The early church did not measure up the success by the size of their gathering. They were in authentic relationship with God and others, considering ‘everything in common’ was their way of life. Jesus said, do not store up your treasures here on earth because it is destined to perish. At the end all we can brag is about the size of the pile of ashes. Look, I have more ashes than you! What a pathetic situation! Jesus taught the simplest act of love and friendship which would transform people in an exciting way. Somewhere along the line we lost that, we have learned to consume and compete, but forgot to ‘live’. Schools teach us to compete in academics and win the competitive job market. Churches teach us to compete in singing, bible quizzes, scripture memorization, observance of law etc. They brag about their 'disciplined' members who can recite the entire book of Bible. I am like... So what?
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” If you and I see a group of little children playing in a play yard, would we ever think ‘how successful they are’? I would say to myself, how cute, innocent and playful they are. That’s how God loves to see us, His children – simple, innocent and joyful. He cares only less about our finance, career, possessions, discipline, religiosity etc.
"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
That’s the problem of wealth and success. While accumulating it we wouldn’t realize how hard it would be to lose it sooner or later.
According to Wikipedia, Alexader the great was one of the most successful military commanders in history, and was undefeated in battle. By the time of his death, he had conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks. Alexander died after twelve years of constant military campaigning, possibly as a result of malaria, poisoning, typhoid fever, viral encephalitis or the consequences of alcoholism.
As a final wish, he asked his officials to put his hands outside his coffin, for people to see that he came to this world in empty hands and now leaving the world in empty hands. The story of a king who conquered major parts of the world ends there!
Apostle Paul warns us wisely in the book of Timothy, For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.
King Solomon had pretty much everything many wish for – wealth, power, fame, wisdom, beautiful girls (thousand wives) around him. Bible describes how the fame of Solomon's wisdom and wealth spread far and wide, so much so that the queen of Sheba decided that she should meet with him.
He searched for meaning in life from hedonism, materialism, intellectualism, and ultimately finding a lack of fulfillment from all of these “meaningless” pursuits.
He said:
"Meaningless! Meaningless!"
says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless."
What does man gain from all his labor
at which he toils under the sun?
I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
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.
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
Lets be careful not to take delight in all our 'work'. Lets realize that there are people who have had everything under the sun finally said it all meaningless. 'Nothing was gained under the sun' said Solomon and I find wisdom in it. Let's not be fooled by the futility of filthy success. It counts nothing to God. As Brennan Manning, one of my favorite author said, the only question we will ever be asked on the day of judgment is, 'Did you believe that I loved you?'. We all like the pleasure of achievements, compliments and praise; and many of us have moral superiority complex. It's my prayer that I want to lay it down, I want to stop entertaining my flesh, I don't want false humility either. There is pride in false humility which alienates and isolates us from real people. It is better to live as a 'failure', than living as a successful impostor who trick people and themselves to impress, achieve and posses.
Showing posts with label materialism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label materialism. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
A mind on earthly things
Living with a light attitude towards the 'earthly things' in this post modern competitive world is becoming an increasing struggle for me. The compulsion to be competitive is unavoidable in career, education, money etc. I think I am on a run all the time. Running from my bed in the morning to drop the kids at school, then running to the office, sitting in front of the computer 8 hrs, most of the time with the pressure building up in the head to meet certain deadlines. In the evening running back to pick my kids, running to home, rushing through many things including shower, dinner etc to get to the final point of the day – the bed. Next day continues the same journey. Week-ends are no different and in fact week-ends are much busier than week days. Is this a common phenomenon in this century? I feel like I am running to keep up with everyone else. If I drive 60 miles/hr on a 70 miles zone freeway, I feel like I am failing to keep up. On top of all these, the worries of a regular parent, giving good education to the kids, learning new skills to keep up with the competitive job industry, having enough money for the retirement...
I have relatives and friends who talk about money/business/career all the time. They read ‘how to become a millionaire’ while on vacation. They look down to us, if we don’t plan, save and invest smartly. And I am poor in all these, so I sometimes feel insecure for not having a great financial plan or a career goal.
On the other hand, sometimes I think I need to really slow down but don’t know how. It appears that there is not even a single thing I can take off from the list of things I do everyday. I really want to spend more time reading, thinking and writing.
Philippians 3 is one my favorite anti-legalistic chapters in the Bible. But when I read it yesterday I read the whole chapter and something stuck out to me towards the end of the chapter.
There Apostle Paul is making a statement such as ‘as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears’. I am not sure if there is any other passage among all the Pauline Epistles where he says something with tears in his eyes. That to me is a sign of great importance of the thing he is talking here. He is talking about the people who lives as the enemies of the cross of Christ whose god is their stomach and their mind is on earthly things. It brought a shiver to my body. Though a child of God, how much I think about the things of this world. How much I am concerned about my well being on this earth, which is destined to ‘pass away’. The psalmist reminds us of some thing about our life here which is worth remembering all the time:
As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
Going back to the passage in Philippians, Apostle Paul concludes that chapter like this:
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
I wish I lived with Apostle Paul in first century. I need somebody to keep on reminding me this all the time. It is not that I want to run away from my responsibilities as a husband, parent or an employee, but I simply want to grow in the grace of God. And often times materialism comes on my way so I keep forgetting that my citizenship is in heaven and I can think more about the things above and of eternal value rather than temporary things on this temporary earth. I keep forgetting the Jesus who said, 'do not be anxious about tomorrow'. It is so easy to tell someone to 'live one day at a time', but it is so hard to do it. Unless I am constantly reminded about the love and grace of God, I will easily drift away from the things of God, to the things of the world. I want to encourage everybody to keep on writing their blogs to encourage each other because people like me desperately needs to be reminded all the time. I like what C.S. Lewis said: 'People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed'.
I have relatives and friends who talk about money/business/career all the time. They read ‘how to become a millionaire’ while on vacation. They look down to us, if we don’t plan, save and invest smartly. And I am poor in all these, so I sometimes feel insecure for not having a great financial plan or a career goal.
On the other hand, sometimes I think I need to really slow down but don’t know how. It appears that there is not even a single thing I can take off from the list of things I do everyday. I really want to spend more time reading, thinking and writing.
Philippians 3 is one my favorite anti-legalistic chapters in the Bible. But when I read it yesterday I read the whole chapter and something stuck out to me towards the end of the chapter.
There Apostle Paul is making a statement such as ‘as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears’. I am not sure if there is any other passage among all the Pauline Epistles where he says something with tears in his eyes. That to me is a sign of great importance of the thing he is talking here. He is talking about the people who lives as the enemies of the cross of Christ whose god is their stomach and their mind is on earthly things. It brought a shiver to my body. Though a child of God, how much I think about the things of this world. How much I am concerned about my well being on this earth, which is destined to ‘pass away’. The psalmist reminds us of some thing about our life here which is worth remembering all the time:
As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
Going back to the passage in Philippians, Apostle Paul concludes that chapter like this:
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
I wish I lived with Apostle Paul in first century. I need somebody to keep on reminding me this all the time. It is not that I want to run away from my responsibilities as a husband, parent or an employee, but I simply want to grow in the grace of God. And often times materialism comes on my way so I keep forgetting that my citizenship is in heaven and I can think more about the things above and of eternal value rather than temporary things on this temporary earth. I keep forgetting the Jesus who said, 'do not be anxious about tomorrow'. It is so easy to tell someone to 'live one day at a time', but it is so hard to do it. Unless I am constantly reminded about the love and grace of God, I will easily drift away from the things of God, to the things of the world. I want to encourage everybody to keep on writing their blogs to encourage each other because people like me desperately needs to be reminded all the time. I like what C.S. Lewis said: 'People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed'.
Monday, January 21, 2008
The world
Look at what materialism, money and luxury did to us? Over-eating, unhealthy eating, obesity, sickness, laziness, false self sufficiency, false independence, hedonism... Who said this world is getting better?
Where is hope found? Celebrities who have everything we all strive for - money, fame, sex, fans - are suicidal! But we still want all that.
We brag about our intelligence, brevity, adventures, technology but still hallucinated in our depraved mind to think that there is no hope this world can offer. All our intelligence becomes pseudo-intelligence. All our self sufficiency becomes false. All our money becomes a monster.
The provision for flesh is in every nuke and corner. Most times - one click away or one call away. Should we hide? Should we isolate and make ourself monks? Should we live in a state of denial? Or celebrate the sins and indulge more and more. Why are we so depraved that now we are able to brag and celebrate our sins and do pride parades!
See the impact in churches. 'Pastorship' is a carrier. Salary is bargained. It is an industry where resumes are built and benefits are determined on 'ability' and experience. The level of success is counted on the numbers and quantity. The word discipleship is not in their dictionary.
This world and everything in it makes us short of the truth. Everything looks as if it is contrary to the truth.
(I don't know how to end this post... I have a BIG 'thank you, Jesus' deep inside me chocking myself. There is absolutely, absolutely, absolutely no hope in anyone/anything other than Jesus!)
Where is hope found? Celebrities who have everything we all strive for - money, fame, sex, fans - are suicidal! But we still want all that.
We brag about our intelligence, brevity, adventures, technology but still hallucinated in our depraved mind to think that there is no hope this world can offer. All our intelligence becomes pseudo-intelligence. All our self sufficiency becomes false. All our money becomes a monster.
The provision for flesh is in every nuke and corner. Most times - one click away or one call away. Should we hide? Should we isolate and make ourself monks? Should we live in a state of denial? Or celebrate the sins and indulge more and more. Why are we so depraved that now we are able to brag and celebrate our sins and do pride parades!
See the impact in churches. 'Pastorship' is a carrier. Salary is bargained. It is an industry where resumes are built and benefits are determined on 'ability' and experience. The level of success is counted on the numbers and quantity. The word discipleship is not in their dictionary.
This world and everything in it makes us short of the truth. Everything looks as if it is contrary to the truth.
(I don't know how to end this post... I have a BIG 'thank you, Jesus' deep inside me chocking myself. There is absolutely, absolutely, absolutely no hope in anyone/anything other than Jesus!)
Friday, January 4, 2008
Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. (2 Corinthians 6:10)
Is this possible? This is something a carnal mind cannot comprehend. There is so much spiritual truth in these words Apostle Paul wrote, and it is purely spiritual. Yes, it is possible to be sorrowful and still always rejoicing. Rejoicing in the Lord, taking the delight in Him, acknowledging the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God. No forces of the devil can snatch us out of our heavenly Father’s hands. Even death cannot separate us from the love of God.
Biblical prosperity is not materialism and money. Biblical healing is not bodily healing. Apostle Paul, the religious fanatic turned grace-preacher whom God used to write 2/3rd of the New Testament was poor, sick, imprisoned, hungry, beaten, dying, sorrowful and possessed nothing.
genuine, yet regarded as impostors;
known, yet regarded as unknown;
dying, and yet we live on;
beaten, and yet not killed;
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
poor, yet making many rich;
having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
(2 Corinthians 6:9-10)
Where is the so called ‘prosperity gospel’ here? Where is the materialism here? Where is the ‘divine healing’ here?
I think the people who are looking for divine intervention of God such as divine money, divine prosperity, divine job etc are looking for a god other than the one they already have, or they do not have the God of the Bible. It was revealed unto Paul, the reality many Christians do not understand – Jesus is all we need, His grace is sufficient for us. That is the revelation which enabled him to say ‘I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses’. Christian life is about growing weak and being glad in the fact that we are weak, because His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Having nothing, and yet possessing everything. Thats is so special and only a child of God can claim that. His children possess the supernatural and their eyes are not on the things ‘seen’ but on the ‘unseen’. They walk by faith and faith alone.
it is okay to be sorrowful in this world, we still have everything we need to rejoice. It is okay to be poor here , we still have everything a King's kid can possess. It is okay to be beaten, but our 'eternal life' cannot be killed. it is okay to be imprisoned, our 'freedom in Christ' cannot be bound. it is okay to be hungry, we can still be full in the Spirit. It is okay to be sick, we are eternally healed by His wounds. it is okay to be dying, but we are present with God while absent form the body.
Is this possible? This is something a carnal mind cannot comprehend. There is so much spiritual truth in these words Apostle Paul wrote, and it is purely spiritual. Yes, it is possible to be sorrowful and still always rejoicing. Rejoicing in the Lord, taking the delight in Him, acknowledging the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God. No forces of the devil can snatch us out of our heavenly Father’s hands. Even death cannot separate us from the love of God.
Biblical prosperity is not materialism and money. Biblical healing is not bodily healing. Apostle Paul, the religious fanatic turned grace-preacher whom God used to write 2/3rd of the New Testament was poor, sick, imprisoned, hungry, beaten, dying, sorrowful and possessed nothing.
genuine, yet regarded as impostors;
known, yet regarded as unknown;
dying, and yet we live on;
beaten, and yet not killed;
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
poor, yet making many rich;
having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
(2 Corinthians 6:9-10)
Where is the so called ‘prosperity gospel’ here? Where is the materialism here? Where is the ‘divine healing’ here?
I think the people who are looking for divine intervention of God such as divine money, divine prosperity, divine job etc are looking for a god other than the one they already have, or they do not have the God of the Bible. It was revealed unto Paul, the reality many Christians do not understand – Jesus is all we need, His grace is sufficient for us. That is the revelation which enabled him to say ‘I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses’. Christian life is about growing weak and being glad in the fact that we are weak, because His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Having nothing, and yet possessing everything. Thats is so special and only a child of God can claim that. His children possess the supernatural and their eyes are not on the things ‘seen’ but on the ‘unseen’. They walk by faith and faith alone.
it is okay to be sorrowful in this world, we still have everything we need to rejoice. It is okay to be poor here , we still have everything a King's kid can possess. It is okay to be beaten, but our 'eternal life' cannot be killed. it is okay to be imprisoned, our 'freedom in Christ' cannot be bound. it is okay to be hungry, we can still be full in the Spirit. It is okay to be sick, we are eternally healed by His wounds. it is okay to be dying, but we are present with God while absent form the body.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)