subject: Beware of today's golden calf [print this page] Beware of today's golden calf Beware of today's golden calf
n keeping an open mind to the graces of the Lord whatever it might be, it may be necessary to step back a bit towards a relentless drive towards wealth and to avoid making it the linchpin of anything, which can be an idolatrous form, improperly and dangerously invading that sacred space of the personal relationship with the Lord.
There can be piles of wealth out there, but even with greater access and means to technology with wireless, the internet and the potential democratization of information flow in a positive way from that, there is still a strong collective consciousness, towards a pecking order based on wealth accumulation, and in many cases an over striving towards it, to the point that individuals or even societies are going off the deep end if the drive towards wealth is not easily happening..
The golden calf story seems to be rooted in a developing collectivist mentality, where individuals gave over their identity, station and status with the Lord to the tentacles of group think that led them directly into the wrath of the Lord, who took them as individually responsible even though it seemed that they succumbed to group think and collectivist thinking.
An important lesson is to keep your feet planted on your own walk with the Lord, don't get too carried away with the material edicts of the day, and don't let over strivings for wealth overwhelm that needed space and time for a good and thriving relationship with the Lord.
It is easy enough for people to go out on their own, and say they are doing okay is societal measures say so and tap through
But don't presume on the Lord's favor, especially if you are investing into realms of idolatry, which can be anything that shadows away the shining presence of the Lord in your life.
An example is these verses from the epistle of James from Chapter 4:.
13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will[g] go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
This section of scripture shows that there is a personal accounting to the Lord for plans regardless of what is going on in the city or with society out there.
It is interesting that one of the means people might seek is a higher annual salary.
But even the year can not be presumed upon, as the Lord's great graces might be there for this or that, or they might not be.
But if these plans or those plans are go well it would be better to be in conjunction with the apparent graces of the Lord, and not to steer away in your plans and personal orchestrations from the Lord only to return maybe at a later date.
Because getting caught up in a collectivist mentality and not being careful to be on guard for yourself, as you cannot blame economic tides for digressions with the relationship with the Lord. If your personal fortures dwindle or do not go the way you hoped for, proper maintenance is above all to keep a tight hold on the relationship with the Lord, even if all else seems to fail.
As far as the pursuit of say money, look for a good clear path to it, but if it isn't there don't take the wrong roads and do something harmful to yourself or others to get there.
An example might be someone looking for a great day of ocean swimming the beach or maybe a little surfing.
If you can get to the beach and the waters aren't dangerously turbulent, and filled with sharks and poisonous jelly fish, maybe do go for the swim and find it within the enjoyable and safe range.
But don't knock someone over to get your surfing spot and maybe stay off the water if the conditions are in any way truly dangerous.
The goal is good but only within certain parameters that can to an extent be observed.
Get to where you want to go only if it doesn't leave real trouble in its wake.
And whatever step you take, strive with the Lord, keep your own personal walk intact, and don't be disrupted by the thinly disguised worshiping of wealth out there, that raises up individuals, corporations, countries that are wealthy to false heights, where your personal responsibility is to raise up only the Lord and to keep everything else in proper proportion and place.
There is that vein of gold that might be glitter too much for you
If you can't make it too easy streets, without keeping on good terms with the Lord, then don't succumb to some of the drifts that involve schemes, gambling away other people's money, taking advantage, or trying to overwhelm your own schedule or overwhelming your own schedule with money making pursuits, where you are subsequently giving the Lord only a passing glance in terms of prayer time.
Don't sink before the golden calf or anything that is likened to it
The sink point, which is like sinking in quicksand, it more a mentality of wrapping your mind and thoughts too much on the material and not keeping your mind, loose limber and free of material obsessions that lead to further troubles.
Having an open mind in the spiritual sense is keeping the mind free from excessive anything and focusing in on the graces of the Lord as they come through and not latching onto any given concept including wealth issues as a big one that can trip up free thinking upon the graces of the Lord which can include anything but must be heeded.
The idea of wealth accumulation has been and will be taken too far to the detriments of those who are focusing themselves to much in this fashion.
Most people have scene the all time classic movie the Ten Commandments, with Charlton Heston and Yule Brenner, which chronicles the Exodus story, and within it the Golden Calf story which drew the Lord's immediate ire.
The Lord enabled this wealth and gold to be there in the first place, but instead of an adjunct, it became a twisted allegory of betrayal of the relationship, by the people directly involved in this.
Today, there seems to be a constant stream of stories in the press about people conducting schemes for gain, These people seem willing to scheme anyone down the river for material gain.
This thinking could become too common, that its commonness seems to justify it.
While it is reasonable in most cases to want to be comfortable with material means, have a good personal treasure trove and so forth, putting total emphasis on wealth gain, economic status, and stamping everything with this outlook, may be edging into the dangerous golden calf territory, and the personal peril of compromising and diverting from your own better, ongoing individual walk with the Lord and the light of his favor upon you.
