In Jeff Goins’ bestseller, Real Artists Don’t Starve, he set out to dispel the myth of the “starving artist”. Likewise, in my last post, I began exposing the lies that many people who seek to wholeheartedly follow Jesus Christ may have treasures in Heaven but will probably never enjoy much success here on earth.
DepositPhotos.com Image ID: 212529114 Copyright: Sewcream
Passivity and Complacency Are Not Necessarily Spiritual
I assure you, I am NOT crossing over to the Health & Wealth Gospel. I have no delusions that God owes me anything! Nor do I believe that God has to provide something just because I “Name it”.
However, I am concerned that while rejecting the excesses of one extreme, we can drift, ever so spiritually, to the other extreme. We can focus so much being humble and on not appearing proud, manipulative, or materialistic, that we limit the blessings God may long to give.
Success and Spirituality Are Not Mutually Exclusive
I am concerned that sometimes, Christ-followers can make the mistake of equating success with impure motives or tactics and a lack of success as being spiritual. I understand if you have trouble believing that statement. I had to read it again myself. But, I assure you, I have seen it over and over.
I remember moving from the mission field to Greenwich, CT, one of wealthiest cities in the U.S. Now, my mission field was a modern European metropolis not a community of Haitian huts but still, the contrast was pretty stark. It was an eyeopener for me to realize that there were very humble and godly people living in that city. People who, through many years of hard work and discipline, were rewarded by and this world’s standards. They had many possessions but they held them loosely. They did not seem enslaved by them. I knew some missionaries, who had everything they owned in two suitcases who were much more possessive and materialistic than some of those people living in a mansion.
Success and Healthy Relationships Are Not Mutually Exclusive
I had often heard it was better to work smart than to work hard. While living in Greenwich, I learned two critical lessons. First, I learned to redefine my understanding of “hard work”. Secondly, I learned it is possible to work smart AND work hard.
I also learned that it is possible to work smart and hard and still make time for the important people and relationships in life. I say “I learned”, I should say I began learning. In our day where technology keeps us connected to the trivial, it can be more of a challenge to connect with the vital.
A Little Perspective
I can be a worrier. I’m not as bad as I used to be, I was diagnosed with ulcers at nineteen. If that isn’t bad enough, I had the same symptoms from thirteen but didn’t know how to verbalize them. One of the ways that I began attacking worry was to ask myself, “Is this worth going to the hospital over?”. At this point, I didn’t necessarily have any solutions. I just knew that allowing myself to worry was not helping anyone and was getting me sick.
Don’t Worry
When I began reading the Bible to learn more about God in my twenties, I remember being struck by how many times Jesus told His followers to not worry or not be afraid. For example, consider this portion of the Sermon on the Mount in the sixth chapter of Matthew.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
Seek First the Kingdom of God
Jesus didn’t tell HIs followers to just “let it go.” He didn’t say “fahget about it”. He gave clear guidance to actively seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first. Make that the focus of your life.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…
And These Things Will Be Given to You
… and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
What I am concerned about is that somehow we may be overreacting against the excesses of a false gospel we can drift to a false sense of spirituality that covers up sins of laziness and fatalism.
Honor God. Work Hard. Work Smart.
God celebrates and longs to reward the hard work of skillful servants who remain humble and put God first in their lives. Consider some of the following verses.
2 Chronicles 26:5
As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success. (referring to King Uzziah)
Nehemiah 1:11
Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”
Ecclesiastes 10:10
If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.
Proverbs 2:1-10
1My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
