Friday 12 August

Ecclesiastes 4:1-6:12

I think I need to check myself.  It says “Whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” and I’ve spent a lot of time not satisfied about my income.  Does that mean I actually love wealth?  I’ve said that I’ve just chased money because that’s what it takes to live in this part of London but have I unwittingly bowed myself down to the God of abundance?  I think I need to check myself.  It says “the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep” and over the time I’ve lost sleep over current and planned home improvements.  Does that mean I have abundance?  I’m sure two thirds of the world would say that I do.  So what is the best provision I can make for my family, for myself, for my church?  What is the way that I can best honour God?  Maybe, rather than being bothered about getting more I should be bothered about being content with what I’ve got.  That would be a gift from God.  But there is such an insatiable demand for more surging all around me, can I really just opt out of it?  I need to check myself and I need the Spirit to help me do it.

1 Corinthians 7:17-35

What God gives to us is better than an improvement in personal circumstances.  Relationship with Him, grace from Him, peace from Him is so monumentally valuable that it renders our status-in-life insignificant.  We might even be suffering from the shame and struggle of life-long slavery and yet, this thing from Jesus is better than a day of freedom would be.  It’s not that Paul is pro-slavery (as some have accused him of being) it’s just that spending your whole life trying to fight an entrenched personal injustices might seem like a bit of a waste of time once you are living in the rich and super-abundant treasures of the kingdom.  It would be like spending years fighting an unfair parking ticket when you know you’ve won the Euromillions.  Does that sound like it’s belittling the aching grind of slavery?  Maybe.  But Paul was far more acquainted with slavery than I am and, if anything, I suspect it is more likely that I’m belittling the unspeakable riches of the kingdom.  So, in view of how awesomely great God’s generosity is, it’s probably just worth sucking up our personal injustices and enjoying the incredible goodness that is on offer.  Do we feel like we’re being mistreated at work?  Are we under-appreciated at home?  Is there something, or someone, really hassling us?  Paul would say “don’t stress it - chill out”.  If an opportunity comes to get free of the problem - then take it, but don’t spend your whole time agonising over how to remedy your situation.  Be happy to remain in it.  God is good enough and strong enough to make your life wonderful even in spite of this.  All that really matters is keeping the commandments of God - then we will really know what it is to have joy.

Proverbs 19:23-20:4

“Every fool is quick to quarrel” - what a load of rubbish.