[The Blog o' Sands] Freakin' Mammon...
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C.Sands
Apr 3, 2008, 11:35:50 AM4/3/08
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"One can't, at once, promote two reputations. Promote God's and forget yours. Or promote yours and forget God's. We must choose."
That's a quote from Max Lucado, an author that I have cast disparagement on in the past but am now growing to like more and more. It goes directly to the heart of one of the things God has been dealing with me about lately...especially in the past couple of weeks.
In the passage in Matthew 6 that I talked about last week, verse 24 says,
"No one can serve two masters, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (mammon)."
I did a little bit of study on Mammon, the word translated money in the NIV (once again, bible.org!). This is one of those words that doesn't translate all that well into english...I've seen it described as "ill gotten gains" or "the passionate pursuit of wealth" etc. I think one of the best definitions that I've seen is from Bill Hull who states,
"Mammon is the entire superstructure of pride, the hubris of man."
And then I've got Lucado who substitutes reputation here...I'll tell you what this passage is saying to me:
Chris, you cannot serve two masters, you weren't designed that way. You can't serve both Me and your own pride, your own selfish ambition...you can't serve both Me and your grand plans for success. If you try to, you will end up as you have before...talking highly of me and making a mockery of me with your life. You'll end up talking about faith in me and despising that faith through your worry and anxiety and over-work. You'll end up admiring those who serve others while emulating those that only serve themselves.
This week I've been hit hard with these truths. In the past months, I believe that God has given me a vision for what it is that he has for me to do, however the method that he has provided to get there is one that requires trust in him and the death of much of my pride.
I did and interview this week with a man who was much older than I (early sixties probably)...it was brutal to say the least. Some exerpts from my conversation with this man,
"so it really sucks to be so downwardly mobile doesn't it?"
"I would say that life really hasn't worked out in the way that you wanted it to, has it?"
"So you came out of college full of promise, and then real life hit you over the head and your promise didn't pan out...I'm sure that makes you angry..."
That kind of conversation went on for almost an hour...I walked away completely discouraged and distraught, feeling like an utter failure. I had been on the path to wealth, on the path to great things, on the path to prestige and power...and then I wandered off of it. I had failed...
And this reaction to that conversation made me realize that I have failed...I think I've failed to realize how owned I am by a culture that is completely counter to the values that Christ espoused when he walked here. I think I've failed to realize how true Christ's statement about two masters really is. I think I've failed to understand that, in many instances, my pursuit of mammon has precluded my pursuit of Christ. I have failed to make sure that my primary goal is the emulation of Christ in all things.
After a few days of pain and soul searching, I think I have some answers for that guy...Christ was downwardly mobile...in fact he valued those who could surrender themselves to downward mobility. No, life hasn't worked out as I planned, but if it would have I would be missing out on the adventure God has sent me on. And, no, I'm not angry about my "promise" not panning out because it is not my promise that I want to build my life on...it's His promise. Your right, sir, my strength isn't what I thought it was...but I know that his strength is made perfect in my weakness.
Man, I wish that I could come up with that stuff in the moment...then everybody would be so impressed with me....jeez, that mammon is a pain in the butt ain't it!?
--
Posted By C.Sands to The Blog o' Sands at 4/03/2008 06:59:00 AM
That's a quote from Max Lucado, an author that I have cast disparagement on in the past but am now growing to like more and more. It goes directly to the heart of one of the things God has been dealing with me about lately...especially in the past couple of weeks.
In the passage in Matthew 6 that I talked about last week, verse 24 says,
"No one can serve two masters, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (mammon)."
I did a little bit of study on Mammon, the word translated money in the NIV (once again, bible.org!). This is one of those words that doesn't translate all that well into english...I've seen it described as "ill gotten gains" or "the passionate pursuit of wealth" etc. I think one of the best definitions that I've seen is from Bill Hull who states,
"Mammon is the entire superstructure of pride, the hubris of man."
And then I've got Lucado who substitutes reputation here...I'll tell you what this passage is saying to me:
Chris, you cannot serve two masters, you weren't designed that way. You can't serve both Me and your own pride, your own selfish ambition...you can't serve both Me and your grand plans for success. If you try to, you will end up as you have before...talking highly of me and making a mockery of me with your life. You'll end up talking about faith in me and despising that faith through your worry and anxiety and over-work. You'll end up admiring those who serve others while emulating those that only serve themselves.
This week I've been hit hard with these truths. In the past months, I believe that God has given me a vision for what it is that he has for me to do, however the method that he has provided to get there is one that requires trust in him and the death of much of my pride.
I did and interview this week with a man who was much older than I (early sixties probably)...it was brutal to say the least. Some exerpts from my conversation with this man,
"so it really sucks to be so downwardly mobile doesn't it?"
"I would say that life really hasn't worked out in the way that you wanted it to, has it?"
"So you came out of college full of promise, and then real life hit you over the head and your promise didn't pan out...I'm sure that makes you angry..."
That kind of conversation went on for almost an hour...I walked away completely discouraged and distraught, feeling like an utter failure. I had been on the path to wealth, on the path to great things, on the path to prestige and power...and then I wandered off of it. I had failed...
And this reaction to that conversation made me realize that I have failed...I think I've failed to realize how owned I am by a culture that is completely counter to the values that Christ espoused when he walked here. I think I've failed to realize how true Christ's statement about two masters really is. I think I've failed to understand that, in many instances, my pursuit of mammon has precluded my pursuit of Christ. I have failed to make sure that my primary goal is the emulation of Christ in all things.
After a few days of pain and soul searching, I think I have some answers for that guy...Christ was downwardly mobile...in fact he valued those who could surrender themselves to downward mobility. No, life hasn't worked out as I planned, but if it would have I would be missing out on the adventure God has sent me on. And, no, I'm not angry about my "promise" not panning out because it is not my promise that I want to build my life on...it's His promise. Your right, sir, my strength isn't what I thought it was...but I know that his strength is made perfect in my weakness.
Man, I wish that I could come up with that stuff in the moment...then everybody would be so impressed with me....jeez, that mammon is a pain in the butt ain't it!?
--
Posted By C.Sands to The Blog o' Sands at 4/03/2008 06:59:00 AM
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