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FOLLY OF LIVING FOR SELF ALONE A MODERN MALADY

(Contributed by the Ministers’ Association) If you want a modern story read Luke 12 16-21 (parable of the rich man). Jesus is telling us' that thi's attitude to wealth is a dangerous practise \yhen it borders on idolatry. Notice how the “I” is so prominent in that lesson. What will “I”, do? “I” have no room, This “I” will do, I will pull down, and “I” will say to “my” soul, etc. Then note the contrast in the verse which says “But God said, Thou fool—lt is a vivid and dramatic little story and maintains the climax-height to the end: “Thou foolish one this night thy soul shall be required by thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?” Here is a man who has prospered; it could be any man. A “successful” man, no doubt esteemed by his neighbours and admired for his ability to turn over his assets until he is a rich man. A man of forethought and diligence who had sown and reaped the prolific generosity of Mother earth. Man had sown and God had given the increase. It was reasonable that, as his material wealth was greater than the capacity of his barns, for him to ask, “What shall I do with my goods?” The answer is sensible and practical, “I will pull down and* build bigger barns.” Yet across this man’s actions and schemes God spoke and God said, “Thou fool!” Why did God so speak? Must this be the reward of a prosperous man; a man whose ability and talent increases his wealth to give a pleasing balance sheet? Yes! it he in his mind and in his speech thinks and speaks of only the material things and acts as though he can “eat, drink and be merry” to the exclusion of his God. This man’s prosperity allowed him to forget his God, and the picture is a common one and a modern one. There are two things a man may never forget; at least if he does God will not be slow in reminding him Of them. One is that what a man has and calls his own is not his; it has been lent by God; the other is, that what has been lent him by God is intended to be used for God. The covetous man has no sense of a God-given responsibility and he can only speak in terms of I, my, and mine. The hul of his universe is himself and he reyels in his own importance and self attainments. We may say, “Well there is nothing in this for me to worry about for I have no wealth laid up for many years and am not likely ever to have.” Perhaps so. Perhaps we haven’t this and that, but let us not forget that wealth need not be considerable to lose a man his soul. It isn’t the size of the wealth that tells the tale but the attitude of the coveting heart to it. Covetousness of wealth is never satisfied as Emeron has said “Want is a growing giant, whom the coat of ‘have’ was never large enougp, to cover.” Our industrial disputes give us the absolute proof of that. In the desire for more and more, even the smallest income man is seeking heart and soul to tear down, his little barns to rebuild bigger. When “I” is the centre of desire and life’s universe we make some horrible blunders. And the world today is living just that way—and the man of the parable is heard 1 again and again to speak. ,And across lives lived for self and self gain and self pleasure (and especially for all pleasure) God gives the definition of a fool. Only a fool will live in a universe centred around self, living to seek selfaggrandizement. The world has paid the price and is still paying the price of this blunder, and it’s reward is eternal misery and torment. It is the mistake of both men and of nations. Let the fool become wise and see the folly of his way and make Christ his Saviour and centre of his adoration, and Christ his life’s Guide and Lord, and we have the beginning of a new world, a saner society—a world of men finding their souls.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/BPB19480927.2.26

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 100, 27 September 1948, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
728

FOLLY OF LIVING FOR SELF ALONE A MODERN MALADY Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 100, 27 September 1948, Page 6

FOLLY OF LIVING FOR SELF ALONE A MODERN MALADY Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 100, 27 September 1948, Page 6

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