One of the most difficult struggles I have faced and continue to face in this life is simply responding to the world I am a part of (notwithstanding my heavenly citizenship). My greatest temptation seems to come in trying to take a sovereign role in the events and subsequent motivations of living on planet Earth and maybe more specifically in the USA (though I think the same dynamics exist around the world in varying degrees). More succinctly said, I struggle with sinning in my response to my culture, my social network and my economy because I want to exert a sovereign role in things that I don’t have ultimate (or significant) control over.
This tendency to want to be in control is a root problem. First, it’s a corruption of my mind that allows me to foolishly set the Sovereign God aside and try to orchestrate my own plans. And second, it’s an arrogance of heart that leads me want the creator role in life rather than the responsive created role. In much of my thinking and decision making, I exhibit a real pressing desire to rule rather than to serve.
So, lately, with the events going on in our world and certainly, more specifically, in our economy… I find myself waging war again with my flesh with respect to getting out of bounds with God’s desire that I reflect HIS image in following His plan given in Genesis 1:28.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
In the past, when these ‘skirmishes’ with things more directly related to money, wealth, economy, and all things related to ‘living comfortably in this world’, I have struggled, sinned, and gotten up and off the battlefield (choosing ignorance and apathy). I would likely follow the same response, but then I will not have ‘put on’ God’s solution to my dilemma in this area of my life.
So, I’m trying to be careful to respond to current events in a manner that is informed by Genesis 1:28 and the whole counsel of God’s word and I am trying to ‘get wisdom’ and respond prudently, pro-actively, graciously and practically to these matters that do pertain to ‘life and godliness’. One way I’m trying to ‘serve’ in this role is simply by reminding myself (and others) that I do have a stewardship role in responding to this world. As I hear and see things that I believe are important for me to consider, I also look for ways to serve others in offering them the observations I’m making with the hope that they might benefit and also that they might likewise be used to help me (as we live in christian community) to keep walking by faith in this world and not by sight.
Today, I have a few different related things that have caught my attention and so I’m posting them as an addendum to the above thoughts. Maybe you have the same stuggles I do or maybe you are strong in this area and can offer biblical counsel that addresses heart, mind and practical christian living in this world. I welcome your thoughts.
Here is a surprisingly common sense commentary coming from a Senator from FL. I was glad to hear that some in Washington have a reasonable grasp of the problem and a seemingly honest desire to take a long view to addressing the problem.
Here are some add’l thoughts from David Morgan in an interview regarding our debt problem and the economy…
Subsequent to the above interview, I watched this video and it does offer some good perspective. As long as our governments are dictating the economy and intervening rather than free markets, China and/or the USA is going to face the dangers of such foolishness.
In spite of these concerns and because all of these issues reflect our need for the grace of our Sovereign God, I am glad for His salvation and the knowledge that I can rest in His care and provision. Glory to God.
The Tells of Tim 