Leviticus 25; Psalm 32; Ecclesiastes 8; 2 Timothy 4
Man holds an unquenchable hunger and thirst for knowledge . Not just knowledge, but wisdom. My own pursuit of these is generally framed around fixing something in my life. The purveyors of answers make promises of living a big life. In fact, it’s not just about living a big life, but doing so while maintaining balance. You actually can have a huge career, the body you deserve and a healthy family. You can have it all. Do you want to hear more?
I listened to a similar pitch just this morning. Apparently, all I have to do is agree to work really, really hard, being 100% sold out and committed to achieving my goal. When I do this and send him $5,000.00, I will be introduced to the simple secret that has eluded me, and apparently millions of others, since the beginning of time. Despite the high cost, it is a compelling message. Not just to me either. He interviewed a recent graduate of the course. Guess what? The course paid off 10 fold and the man’s marriage was saved from the brink of disaster. All because of these few secrets that have never been revealed. Do you want to know more?
The answer is YES, I WANT TO KNOW! Please, tell me now how I can live this ridiculously awesome life. I am ready!
This is exactly what 2 Timothy 4:3 predicts. The writer knows that my propensity is to seek answers that suit my own desires. I have “itching ears.” The evidence is overwhelming. I can sit through hours of podcasts and study page after page of business strategy to potentially satisfy my own compulsions. More recently, I have devoured books on psychological theory explaining how the human mind interprets information. It is fascinating. I absorb all of this information to make some sense of my life. Of course, all of these things have failed me. My newly acquired wisdom and knowledge have not silenced the voices of negativity and doubt between my ears. I remain insecure in my ability and my marriage is less than I think it can be.
Despite my efforts, God has protected me from deception. As I reflect upon my study habits, He reveals that I attempt to learn more about getting rich than being rich. There is a huge difference! The biggest one is surrender. You see, finding something that will tickle my brain is easy. It doesn’t require confronting my weaknesses and it energizes my spirit. Filling me with possibility. The other way, the Jesus way, is hard. It requires that I give up my own dreams while I embrace my weaknesses. The Jesus way requires complete transformation of my spirit. To be harsh, it requires death. Ironically, it is in death, that I find life. Jesus tells us right. He says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Real Truth.