The one who loves pleasure will become poor. Whoever loves wine and oil will never become rich. ~Proverbs 21:17
I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my Words will never pass away. Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of God. ~Luke 21:32-36
Have you ever considered how sales in stores work? The price on desirable items is reduced for a “limited amount of time.” That is the ploy to try to get you to buy it now, thinking you are getting a bargain, rather than allowing you to wait and consider whether you really need, or even want the item. Those who think they may be getting a real bargain might even purchase more, believing they are saving money, when in truth, they may be frivolously spending money that they don’t really have.
On top of that, they may not even really need the multiples of what they just bought on sale but bought thembecausethey were on sale. It’s even worse if a credit card is used, because in that case, interest charged on any unpaid amount could very easily wipe out the sought after savings! It’s a real, and attractive trap that too many are caught in. It’s almost like they have holes in their pockets that sales circulars bore through, spilling out the money and leaving their pockets empty.
It’s a hard lesson in reality when all the bills come due and the house of cards comes crashing to the ground. “The one who loves pleasure will become poor.” So often, those who love to spend on their pleasures do so for two reasons. They are either avoiding the suffering of self-denial that comes through discipline, or they are masking a different pain by going on a fun shopping spree in an attempt to self-love.
Western culture really has a problem with the idea of suffering and is determined to avoid it at all costs. If something is hard, too many will say, “No thanks,” especially when, they believe that they can have what they want now without all that discomfort of self-denial and delayed gratification. Who needs it? They don’t see a need to sew up the holes. They think they are doing fine.
Pity the person who never grows in the area of self-discipline. “Whoever loves wine and oil will never become rich.” Their end is loss of choices, inability to care for oneself, and dependence upon others who may end up making decisions that are less desirable because the money is gone. They live a selfish, self-centered life that ends in poverty. Sewing the holes up won’t matter then because there will be nothing left to put in them.
Discipline has so many blessings. It is hard to say “no,” in the immediate, However, it’s not just about money, or keeping the pocket lining sewed up. A disciplined life may not look fun or rewarding in the immediate, but over a life span, as the rewards begin to surface, the disciplined person discovers that it was worth it. Health is better. Finances are usually better. Most importantly, the one who includes spiritual discipline finds that their walk with the Lord is better and deeper as a result of that daily time of getting to know God’s heart as a part of the regimen.
We are soldiers on a battlefield. The more disciplined we are, the better we are able to defend and protect our assigned area of interest. Pity the ones who are under the protection of the soldier who never trained, never learned how to use the available weapons, is physically out of shape, and has no idea how to understand the command signals. They have no idea how unprotected they truly are and, the soldier may not be fully aware either.
“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of God.” The disciplined soldier is looking forward to that day and to hearing the words from His commander and Lord, “Well done.”
For the undisciplined one, Paul says: “It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what he or she has built survives, they will receive their reward. If it is burned up, he or she will suffer loss. They themselves will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.” (1 Cor. 3:14-15) Many of the pleasures of this life will be destined for the flames. However, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my Words will never pass away.” Again, if our pleasure is found in the solidness of the Lord, it will be well.
Prayer: Lord, I want to build my life on the firm foundation of the solid rock of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. I want to build with the spiritual gold and jewels of loving service and sharing the gospel, to lay up treasures in heaven! I want to resist the temptation to be satisfied with whatever the devil offers, “on sale now!” Help me be a good soldier, well trained in the spiritual disciplines so that I can stand up against the devil’s scheme in victory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: People Get Ready
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