It’s a Long Way Down!
September 22, 2009 by Tara McClenahan
Bernard Madoff’s fall from grace has been in the news for months now and as I was catching up on current headlines, I read that his beach house has a potential buyer. The news piece included pictures of a luxurious, peaceful retreat that, honestly, looks shockingly similar to the beach house in my wildest dreams. It’s so easy to look at people in Madoff’s former position and covet what they enjoy.
But his downfall and my longing for a beach home like his brings to mind the following Scripture from Proverbs 11:28 (NASB):
“He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.”
Is it wrong to attain riches?
I’d say it depends on the motive and the method. Assuming both are Godly and our hearts have a proper perspective of money and possessions, then I don’t think it is wrong to work toward something we want. But that’s the kicker ~ it is way too easy to trust in and desire more and more money and want to store that up for security and an overload of selfish pleasures.
As children of God, we should strive to put our trust, hope, security and longings in Him alone and recognize that He is the giver of all good things. Then we can enjoy what God has blessed us with instead of wondering when the bottom will drop out.
Share with me!
- What is it that you are working for?
- How do you keep your perspective and motives pure?
This is something that I have struggled with. When you don’t quite have enough, it’s so easy to want so much more.
You are so right. When I find myself in that cycle, I sit down and make a list of the things I have that I would be miserable without and it changes my perspective, rekindles gratefulness and fans the flickering flame of contentment.
When we help other people in our volunteer activities, it reminds me of what we have, how blessed we are and what we can do without.