Thursday, November 12, 2009

Economics to Salvation in a QT gas station

I was in line at a QT the other morning at about 7:30am or so, as I sometimes stop to get a coffee or paper or what not before work. As I looked around there are two types of people in there every morning. On one side you have to suit and tie guys or pant suit girls and even down to the golf shirt and slack gang. On the other side of the coin is the Latino side with paint stains on their Dickies and boots strapped up. Now which of these two groups do you think has the saddest, maddest, most exhausted looks on their faces?? It's not the Latino heat. It's the white boys with college degrees on their walls, keys to a nicer car, polished shoes, matching clothes, etc. Have you seen these people in the mornings?? They look like they are going to a funeral, not to a desk where the first thing they are going to do is log onto Facebook and do nothing for an hour. I look at these latinos with a bag of cheetos in their left hand for breakfast and a 12 pack of Cokes in their right hand for later on in the day when it is blazing hot, or coffee if it is freezing cold. They could not be happier. Laughing it up at 6am. Probably shared a room with their wife and kids the night before, as I toss and turn on a pillow top mattress.
I just told that story to tell you where I took that thought in my head. I went a couple places, as I do most of those mornings as I scan the room. I finally came to the Biblical lesson of money and then right into the promise of salvation. I will explain.....Over 700 times in the Bible does it talk about wealth either directly or indirectly. That is more than double the discussion of heaven or hell. So, when I see the financial divide in a QT in the morning and try and put two and two together. Why did our Savior talk so much about money, if it is such a trivial matter? Matthew 6: 19-21 has been mentioned in this study many times and for good reason "Do not lay up yourselves treasures of earth......." Read the rest.
The economics of this world is based on scarcity. Things cost more, the harder they are to obtain. Supply and demand. It is often not how important something is, but how hard it is to get your hands on it. Take diamonds vs air. Which is more important? Air, obviously but air is free and very easily accessible, therefore its value is low. And, vice versus with diamonds. This scarcity drives us. There is not an abundance of things, which creates competition which leads to hording and stealing. How much competition was there in Eden? How much of survival of the fittest was happening in paradise? None. And there will be none in the new heaven and earth as well. Revelations 22: 3-5 "no longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him....."
This will restore the balance, and cooperation that is so hard to teach in this world. This is what we saw with the apostles after seeing Jesus risen from the dead. Completely free of the restraints of this world. Just flowing, walking Gospel bombs. They underwent great persecution with full thoughts on heaven and saw death as a joyous release. That is why Jesus talked so much about money and focus on it. Many well off people that you see at the church have a great life and find it hard to see death as anything but a dreaded event. And who can blame them? Look at what they have. We know better, right?.....right?......right?
So to bring it home. I just saw the analogy of the Latinos in the QT as focused believers who know how good they have it and will have it in the future, because their eyes have been opened to reality. Much like what happens to us as believers when we become saved. Such a different lens we look through as we live out our lives. So, stay focused on what is important and look forward to that time when the word scarcity is just an afterthought.

ONE

Ty

2 comments:

Tyler Durham said...

We must go to the same QT! You are so right. Great post! I want to live a simple, content, coveting-free life, with my hope set on the coming glory of Christ.

Tanner said...

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." - 1 Timothy 6

- TEvans