What Do We Really See?

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven (Proverbs 23:5, KJV).

I don’t usually read my old King James Bible anymore—it started in Bible college (we had to use the old ASB)—but especially when we were in youth evangelism in Europe. In order to accelerate language learning, I tried to learn to commune with God in the same language I had to use with young people at our center.

But the other day at the doctor’s office I took out a little book of the Proverbs that someone gave to my dad decades ago. It just happen to flip open to the verse above (I’m not recommending that kind of ‘take a stab’ approach to Bible reading, by the way, but sometimes God can use it). The words hit me between the eyes, especially the quaint reading, ‘set thine eyes upon that which is not’. You see, I’ve even heard committed Christians talk about their calling to ‘accumulate wealth,’ but I can’t find that in the Bible. And unlike the six-figure salaries that have become common for some ministry leaders in North America today, I find Paul’s view more in line with God’s purpose for His people:

I have never wanted anyone’s money or clothes. You know how I have worked with my own hands to make a living for myself and my friends. By everything I did, I showed how you should work to help everyone who is weak. Remember that our Lord Jesus said, “More blessings come from giving than from receiving” (Acts 20:32-25).

The New Testament church expected trouble and trials that often included economic pressure (they sometimes lost their jobs when they refused to take part in the wild parties of their trade guilds—see Revelation 2:19-21). Or as my fellow missionary in prison, ‘Raymond’ put it, ‘it’s better not to own anything here, then nobody tries to break in and steal your stuff—and hurt you in the process.’ Just about all he owns are his Bible, a Qur’an (to help reach Muslims), and some other books and tracts.

I’ll admit to owning a home and a lot of ‘stuff’ that goes with it, so I am as guilty as anybody.

But could this be one reason that we American Christians seem to be so often paralyzed by fear? Missionary candidates back out because their friends and churches put pressure on them—‘something could happen to you!’ ‘Muslims are dangerous!’ Is it because we measure our value in dollar signs? Or success? Or in terms of romance, or (you name it) . . . ?

It’s normal to have fear—Jesus had it big time, sweating drops of blood in Gethsemane. We need to be realistic about the world around us and our purpose in being here. But if we are ‘looking unto Jesus’ (Hebrews 12:2, back to the KJV!), as He was looking to the Reward beyond the grave,we presumably will not be concerned so much with what we might lose.

After all, we will lose it all, sooner or later—Proverbs 23 says that riches fly away. So why do we try to hang on to wealth, success, beauty, and even worse, why do we discourage others from fully following God's plan for their life?

Are we really that spiritually blind?

U.S. Director