The Cost of Wealth

The leaves are beginning to change. The weather is slowly cooling down. Football is in full swing. People are thinking about Pumpkins . . . Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkins all over sweaters, and on and on the list goes. We begin looking forward to gaining an extra hour of sleep when the time changes because we have run ourselves ragged and think that one extra hour of sleep will solve that issue. Hint: it does not.

We have become a 24/7 society over the past few years. “Few years” is probably a little generous. It has been at least a 20 year - generational shift - to shoving everything we can into our calendars. We run to work, school, practice, practice, another practice, shove a quick meal down, and then do homework, house chores, and some of you do a side hustle or two to pay for all the extra practices. And then you wonder why you are tired . . . or maybe we don’t wonder. We’ve just decided to remain zombies.

I have a theory or two on why we busy our lives with busyness.

One is that we are trying to validate our life and existence. We want our life to have meaning. We want people to remember us. We want to leave a wake behind us - even if it’s not a positive wake.

Two, I think that people use busyness to medicate. Some people drink, use drugs, physical intimacy, and a few other options to medicate, but that many normal, run-of-the-mill people and families use a full calendar to medicate and not have a time of silence to sit in their reality - messiness.

As a pastor, I have a unique view of people’s lives. Sometimes it is the things they tell me with words. Sometimes it is the things they tell me with their actions. Sometimes it is the things they tell me in the absence of their words and actions. People are hurting - they need healing and refreshing - and do not know where to turn for healing and refreshment.

I was thinking about this as I considered Jesus’words to the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3). It was a church that had a lot of money and literally had everything that the world had to offer at their fingertips. Laodicea was so wealthy that when the city was severely damaged during an earthquake they turned down money from Rome. Imagine a city today turning away money from D.C. because it had enough in its coffers.

The Laodiceans had become wealthy by slowly giving up their ethical standards. They were willing to sacrifice their character for an extra dollar. Have you ever had that kind of opportunity? Do, or allow, something unethical to make some extra money? Maybe you have justified it by convincing yourself you will give God some of the extra money.

Jesus tells the Laodicean church that they have sold out and cheapened their faith.

He also tells them that they gather for church, but they have uninvited Jesus. That’s right, they are having a party for Jesus, BUT did not invite Jesus to the party. There are many churches today that are concerned about and celebrate everything else, but Jesus.

Jesus uses another illustration for the church at Laodicea that actually rings true here in La Grange - funky water. Laodicea was between Hierapolis, a city known for its healing hot springs and Colossae, a city known for its refreshing, spring water. Laodicea, despite all its wealth, had lukewarm, mineral laden water that made people nauseous. Moving to LG from Denver - we quickly learned the difference from mountain spring water and the water of LG. Can someone say “Yuck!”?

I hope that you have a church home that you consider family, or that is becoming family to you. I hope that in your busyness, you have made church participation a priority, because church attendance matters. I pray that your church is meeting - and that Jesus is invited.

How do I know if Jesus is invited? There is no doubt that Jesus is central to the meeting. You leave worship having met with other Jesus followers and are challenged and encouraged in your faith - in Jesus.

I hope that your church is a place where people can find healing and refreshment. That people can drink deep from the well of living water that Jesus provides (John 4) and be refreshed. That people can spend time in the presence of Jesus and experience healing - healing that only Jesus applied to your life brings.

Unload your calendar. Find a church family. Pursue Jesus. The return on your investment is eternal when you invest in Jesus.