According to Ye Olde English Sayings, “Visitors to Anne Hathaway’s cottage (near Stratford upon Avon) are given this explanation while looking at the bread oven beside the fireplace in the kitchen: ‘The bread was put, as a raw lump of dough, straight into the bread oven. No bread tin, it just sits on the floor of the oven. The oven is heated by the fire and is very hot at the bottom. When the bread is done baking and taken out to cool, the base of the loaf is overcooked, black and also dirty. The top of the loaf is done just right, and still clean. The bottom of the loaf is for the servants to eat, while the upper crust is for the master of the house.’”
It is natural for us to think in these terms. Those who have the money, the power, the privileged, rightfully enjoy the clean bread. Those who lack these advantages, rightfully partake of the charred bread. Not so in the Kingdom of God! In God's economy, the humble, the meek, the disadvantaged in this life are promised thrones.
It's easy to get caught up only wanting the best of what this life has to offer. But when we succumb to this worldly temptation we hope for heaven too soon. It is better to postpone those desires until the humble work of God here on earth has been finished. Then there will be plenty of all eternity to enjoy the upper crust.
"Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later" (Romans 8:18, NLT).
Chuck Swindoll made the following observation about the disorienting power of prosperity:
"Height has a strange way of disturbing our balance."
Dr. Charles R. Swindoll has served as pastor of some of our nation’s most prominent churches, chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary, and Bible teacher on the internationally syndicated radio program Insight for Living. He has written more than thirty best-selling books, including STRENGTHENING YOUR GRIP, LAUGH AGAIN, THE GRACE AWAKENING, and the million-selling GREAT LIVES FROM GOD'S WORD series.
He elaborates:
"When you give your word, you do it. Exactly as you said you would. Because integrity means you are verbally trustworthy. Furthermore, when the bills come due, you pay them. Because integrity means you are financially dependable. Also, when you're tempted to mess around with an illicit sexual affair, you resist. Because integrity means you are morally pure.
You don't fudge because you're able to cover your tracks. Neither do you fake it because you're now a big shot. Being successful doesn't give anybody the right to call wrong right. Or the OK to say something's OK if it isn't OK.
Adversity or prosperity, both are tough tests on our balance. To stay balanced through adversity, resiliency is required. But to stay balanced through prosperity--ah, that demands integrity. The swift wind of compromise is a lot more devastating than the sudden jolt of misfortune. That's why walking on a wire is harder than standing up in a storm.
"Do not trust in extortion or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them" (Psalm 62:10).
Think it's hard standing in the face of adversity? Try standing in the face of prosperity.
Precious few are those who can live in the lap of luxury … who can keep their moral, spiritual, and financial equilibrium … while balancing on the elevated tightrope of success. It's ironic that most of us can handle a sudden demotion much better than a sizable promotion.
Why?
Well, it really isn't too difficult to explain. When adversity strikes, life becomes rather simple. Our need is to survive. But when prosperty occurs, life gets complicated. And our needs are numerous, often extremely complex. Invariably, our integrity is put to the test. And there is about one in a hundred who can dance to the tune of success without paying the piper named compromise.
Dr. Charles R. Swindoll has served as pastor of some of our nation’s most prominent churches, chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary, and Bible teacher on the internationally syndicated radio program Insight for Living. He has written more than thirty best-selling books, including STRENGTHENING YOUR GRIP, LAUGH AGAIN, THE GRACE AWAKENING, and the million-selling GREAT LIVES FROM GOD'S WORD series.
In times of adversity, our hearts and minds quite naturally turn to God. After all, who else will save us from our despair?
But in times of prosperity, the temptation is to turn from God-consciousness to self-centeredness and self interest. After all, we must now protect our assets. Compromise is now lurking 'round every corner.
This is why Scripture is so clear: "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24).
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