There’s a lot of pressure to dream big, go big, be bold, even in Christian culture. But I sometimes wonder if God might actually call some of us to live quietly, faithfully, and unseen. Has anyone else wrestled with that tension?
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Humans do not do well with prosperity and plenty. These ambitions take one further into the world which is toxic for Christian growth and maturity.
Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
A “small” life allows time to invest oneself in one’s family. In the last analysis it is our relationships that have the greatest value.
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Ah yes. Keeping up with the Joneses and becoming the next big social media influencer. These are sadly some goals of even some well-meaning children of God. However, we must be careful. First, the stuff.
“And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15
As for all this stuff that surrounds us daily? It will one day belong to someone else. Or it will simply cease to exist.
“For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1 Timothy 6:7-10
You cannot say. “Yes. I’m saved. But I do not have time to share the gospel. Gotta make that money.” Or things like, “I wish I had more time to serve God. But you know, I gotta pay the electric bill.” Did you not know Jesus tells us to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” He tells us this.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
Did you know that we should not be working to earn our way into Heaven? Instead, we should be motivated to do good works because we are going to Heaven, thanks to God’s salvation. By doing so, we “lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven,” knowing we have a reward waiting for us.
Read Jesus’s parable about the rich man building barns. Luke 12:16-20 It all ends up someone else’s. Or Rubbish. Every secular goal is bound to death and decay. Think about that. What is today is rubbish tomorrow. Why worry a lot about things that do not matter in the long run?
As for gaining followers? Think about pride and the idol of self. The desire to be famous, and or ‘god-like.” Should this be something we desire?
Peter
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As to the title of this thread. And Scripture is clear that wealth itself is not condemned, yet it is relentlessly subordinated to allegiance to God, obedience to Christ, and conformity to the cross, and the grammar of the text makes this precision unmistakable.
~1 Timothy 6:17
“Command those who are rich in the present age,” plousiois (adjective functioning substantively), a real existing group within the church, “not to be arrogant,” mē hupsēlophronein (present active infinitive with mē), forbidding an ongoing attitude, “nor to set their hope,” ēlpikenai (perfect active infinitive), settled confidence, “on the uncertainty of riches,” ploutou adēlotēti, unstable wealth, “but on God, who richly provides,” parechonti (present active participle), continual giving, “us all things for enjoyment,” apolausin, permitted enjoyment without idolatry.
This has nothing to do with striving to keep pace with others, [Joneses] Scripture exposes that impulse as covetous imitation rather than contented obedience, for life is not measured by comparison but by faithfulness before God.
~1 John 2:15–17
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world,” where love translates agapaō (present active imperative), a command forbidding ongoing attachment, “If anyone loves the world,” agapaō (present active indicative), “the love of the Father is not in him,” estin (present active indicative), grounding the warning in present reality, “And the world is passing away,” paragetai (present middle indicative), not static but already dissolving, “and its desire,” epithumia (craving impulse), “but the one doing the will of God,” poiōn (present active participle), continual obedience, “abides,” menei (present active indicative), enduring life anchored beyond possessions.
~Matthew 6:19–21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures upon the earth,” thēsaurizete (present active imperative with mē), forbidding habitual accumulation, “where moth and rust destroy,” aphanizei (present active indicative), inevitable decay, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” thēsaurizete (present active imperative), redirecting desire not erasing it, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” estai (future middle indicative), future allegiance shaped by present priorities.
~Luke 12:15
“Take heed,” horate (present active imperative), “and guard yourselves,” phulassesthe (present middle imperative), sustained vigilance, “from all covetousness,” pleonexias, the hunger for more, “for one’s life does not consist,” estin (present active indicative), “in the abundance,” perisseuein (present active infinitive), surplus is denied as the source of life itself.
~Ecclesiastes 5:10
“He who loves silver is not satisfied with silver,” Hebrew ʾahav (qal participle) paired with loʾ yiśbaʿ (qal imperfect), love that never fills, “nor he who loves abundance with income,” yitron (profit) exposed as empty gain, “this also is vanity,” hebel, vapor existence, fleeting and weightless.
~1 Timothy 6:6–8
“But godliness with contentment is great gain,” estin (present active indicative), redefining profit, “For we brought nothing into the world,” ēnenkamen (aorist active indicative), completed past, “so neither can we carry anything out,” exenenkein (aorist active infinitive), final departure sealed, “But having food and coverings, with these we shall be content,” arkesometha (future passive indicative), contentment received not seized.
~Matthew 16:24–25
“If anyone desires to come after Me,” thelei (present active indicative), real willing, “let him deny himself,” aparnēsasthō (aorist middle imperative), decisive renunciation, “and take up his cross,” aratō (aorist active imperative), not symbolic but terminal, “and follow Me,” akoloutheitō (present active imperative), ongoing pattern, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,” apolesei (future active indicative), inevitable reversal, “but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it,” heurēsei (future active indicative), resurrection logic rooted in the cross.
~Luke 14:33
“So therefore, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions,” apotassetai (present middle indicative), continuous release not a one time gesture, “is not able to be My disciple,” dunatai (present middle indicative), capacity itself is denied where holding on remains.
~Matthew 6:24
“No one is able to serve two masters,” dunatai (present middle indicative), inability not inconvenience, “for either he will hate the one and will love the other,” misēsei kai agapēsei (future active indicatives), inevitable allegiance, “You are not able to serve God and mammon,” douleuein (present active infinitive), slavery language applied to wealth.
~Philippians 3:7–8
“But whatever things were gain to me,” ēn (imperfect active indicative), former accounting, “these I have counted as loss,” hēgēmai (perfect middle indicative), settled conclusion with ongoing effect, “I count all things to be loss,” hēgoumai (present middle indicative), daily recalculation, “because of the surpassing worth of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,” gnōseōs, relational knowing, “that I may gain Christ,” kerdēsō (aorist active subjunctive), purpose driven loss.
~Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ,” synestaurōmai (perfect passive indicative), a completed act with abiding effect, “and I no longer live,” zō de ouketi (present active indicative negated), self displaced, “but Christ lives in me,” zē en emoi (present active indicative), indwelling reality, “and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith,” zō en pistei (present active indicative), sustained dependence grounded in the cross.
J.