Wow!
Have you ever taken a slow drive around the Island during Spring and
Fall garbage pick-up? I'll tell you, you see some pretty interesting
“stuff” along the side of the road. Last Spring I picked up a
practically new “box” stove in South Side, which was exactly what
I wanted for the barn, and in Stoney Island, enough chimney to vent
it. And this was someone's garbage! What is it they say...one man's
trash is...
As
a matter of fact, many people throw out their treasure as well. I've
talked with a few scroungers like myself who find
brand-new-still-in-the-box items in trash piles. Does that mean that
we are becoming careless with our “stuff”, or that we are
indifferent about our “stuff”, or maybe that we have too much
“stuff”? Well sometimes I think that our “gotta have”,
pack-rat way of thinking has lowered the standard of modern society,
rather than raising it. We've been so wickedly bombarded by the ad
agency that we have unwittingly become their stooges...just so many
rats scrambling after their bait! And if you think that analogy is
too strong, just pay a visit to the Salvation Army Thrift Store on
bag day...just kidding. But for sure, check out the check-out line at
Walmart on the 24th of December. Our “stuff” has
become our master, rather than us mastering our “stuff”.
Well,
Jesus noticed the problem in His day as well, and He had no qualms
about addressing it. We read in Matt. 6.19-21 (read...).
And
of course, vs. 33, which is so often quoted...”But seek
ye first the kindom of God, and His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added unto you”! In fact, take a closer look at
all the verses in between, because we mustn't miss out on Truth, with
a capital “T”, from the very heart of “the Way, the Truth and
the Life”! In fact, vs. 34 gives us a perfect transition to
our study for tonight...”Take therefore no thought for tomorrow,
for tomorrow shall take care of itself. Today's problems are enough
to deal with for now”.
Read
vss. 22-34...
OK,
let's get back to James 4.13-17...read
So...let's
consider some of the not-so-well-hidden truths contained therein.
First of all, what about today and tomorrow...is James really
justified in making such a brash observation? Well, as usual, good
King Solomon has recorded some sage God-speak in the Proverbs.
For example...27.1.
The fact is, we don't control our future; we don't even know what our
future holds for us...every day is the secret of the Lord, so simply
put, we can't afford to boast of our plans, even for the next 24
hours! In fact, most people
die without ever having accomplished everything on their “bucket
lists”
(I
despise that term, by the way, to think that we're in a race against
time to do all, see all, and be all before we kick it!). To be sure,
we all have an appointment with God, but I can still only deal, as
Jesus advised, with one day at a time. On the flip side, don't become
like the Stoics of old and just grind your teeth with a “grin and
bear it” attitude. Our great God has provided better than that for
us!
Now
what is James' justification for his commentary on tomorrow? Well for
one thing, he tells us in vs.
14
that...”life
is like the morning mist...come and gone by the time the sun gets
above the tree tops”.
In Is.
40.7
we read that...”The
grass withers and the flower fades, because the Spirit of the Lord
blows upon it...surely the people is grass”.
And of course, Peter's
take on the same passage, in his first
letter,
chapt.
1, vs. 24...”For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as
the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls away”.
So
what would the Lord rather our attitude be? James
records for us in vss.
15-16
that, considering the brevity of life, we ought to put our plotting
and planning aside and put our trust in the Lord's soverign will. We
must learn to give over to Him, because to do otherwise, is sin.
And
then James changes gears. Back to Proverbs,
chapt. 15.6
we read that...”In
the house of the righteous is much treasure, but in the wealth of the
wicked is trouble”.
From a man who knew!
Also
Consider
Luke 12.16-31...
And
then Read
James
5.1-6...
Here's
James' point...if God rules our todays and our tomorrows, He should
also have some say over our “stuff”. We
often think of these kinds of passages as warnings to the rich, but
for the record, even the poor lust after more! In fact, these
warnings are not about money or about abundance, or the lack that
someone has at all, but rather, the attitudes of the heart.
The point is, that one who has
adopted the word of God should certainly know better than to conduct
their lives in worldly and wasteful ways, because the very force of
these words speaks-to the severe punishment for the dishonest rich.
And that judgement can occur during one's lifetime or on the final
Day, but it will come! Again, Solomon, in his finite wisdom, makes
this observation about a man and his “stuff”, in Prov.
15.16...”Better is little in the fear of the Lord, than a great
treasure and the troubles that come with it.”
Wealth
rots like a bad apple, and is ultimately worthless no matter how much
of it we accumulate, even if it's for good reason...like a legacy for
our grandchildren, because indeed, it may never come. And when God
judges our deeds “in the last days”, our treasure will be of no
eternal value. So don't overlook the needy, and don't waste your time
looking for self fulfillment, because God puts no stock in such
things. His concern is for our concern for others and their material
and spiritual poverty.
So
just do it!
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