November 28, 2000
The average North American is exposed to 1500 commercial messages a day. That means if I turn off my radio and do not watch any television today and someone gets my share, they will hear or see an advertisement every twelve seconds. Who can withstand that barrage? Little wonder we are a nation of consumers!
A college course in the methods of advertising taught me that ads almost always appeal to three things. The first is a desire for comfort. That desire draws our attention to ads for clothing, furniture, and vacations.
The second appeals to a desire for power, otherwise known as “if you have more money, more stuff, a bigger car, sweeter breath, more insurance or the best computer, you will be more powerful, more in control of your life.”
The third category is ego. “Build your sense of worth and competence by owning _____ , or belong to ________ , or doing ______ .” (You fill in the blanks.)
Advertising is powerful. We see how it sells products and ideas (ideas as in political campaigns). If advertising did not work, vast sums of money would be put to better use and our time would be freed up for other pursuits. Perhaps those are the reasons that the Bible warns us to watch out for the three-fold appeal in commercials.
Oh, of course the biblical writers did not know about television, bill boards, or spam. Nevertheless, God knows our nature and inspired these words: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. . . . For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2).
In this passage, ‘world’ is not a geographical place. It is not the people either, as in “for God so loved the world.” Instead, this passage talks about a system of thought, a value system that is focused on worldly and temporary things. This system is not from God and is sinful.
The lust of the flesh means an inordinate desire to satisfy physical desires. It is not merely eating but gluttony, not marital sex but illicit sex, not keeping warm and dry but having more than you need at the expense of others.
King David of Israel gave in to the lust of the flesh when he saw Bathsheba from his rooftop, wanted her, and used his power as king to murder her husband and take her for himself.
The lust of the eyes is wanting everything you see, not because you need it but to have a sense of power, even power over those who do not have it. It is being strong and successful as measured by personal property, control, and bank statements.
The world considers wealthy people influential and powerful. Because they use their money and possessions to get what they want, others are impressed by them and their assets. This lust of the eyes works for criminals and mobsters, business men, and even the woman next door.
The pride of life is whatever makes people think they are better than others. This means going for whatever will do that, not for their own sake but to make an impression. It might be money, big house, educational degrees or knowing all the ‘right’ people. This “keeping up with the Jones” is fueled by an inflated human ego.
God says “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. . . . The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” Those who know and live by the love of God are able to turn away from these three reasons for responding to commercials.
Lord, may I never see or hear another commercial message without considering the reason it appeals to me. I might need toothpaste today and a new car tomorrow, but when I go shopping, may my motives for buying not be bent by excessive worldly desires. Remind me often that advertising is only for temporary things. They will fade away and the body I pamper and the friends I try to impress will not be an issue. When I stand alone before You, all that matters is whether my life is governed by Your great love — not sinful motivations.
Showing posts with label selfishness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label selfishness. Show all posts
Monday, January 22, 2018
Monday, September 25, 2017
‘Me first’ is a slippery slope .......... Parables 645
June 22, 1999
Front Page Challenge panelist, Gordon Sinclair, always tried to stump Christian guests with this question: “If God exists, why did he allow a flood that killed innocent children?”
His question is a challenge to those who worship God. What about His power and goodness? If God is so powerful, why did He wipe out everyone? Couldn’t He have designed a punishment that destroyed only the guilty? And if God is so good, why would He harm children? Finally, one guest stumped him with this response, “If God does not exist, why would that be wrong?”
We live in a society where many think that the way to live is doing whatever you want to, whatever you think is right. While that can describe anarchy, it can also describe our independent Western civilization. Most people in North America rule their own lives. All are trained from early childhood to be individuals, to do our own thing. We are raised with whatever value system appeals to our comfort or personal satisfaction. The greater good is seldom the issue.
In recent weeks, this independent thinking has reared its ugly head in schools across the country. Those who kill fellow students are not thinking about others, only their own desires. What they want is more important than what others need.
I know that I sometimes also have thoughts and ideas that are mean, selfish, and destructive. However, I have little respect for that side of my humanity. That lack of respect would carry over to others had not God assured me of His forgiveness. Because He forgives me, I can forgive the sinful side of other people.
Further, mean and destructive thoughts are common to everyone. For me, they would become actions had not God given me the Holy Spirit that I might control myself. I know that if I decided there was no God, I would be without any mercy towards myself or other people. I would devalue human life, perhaps even want to destroy it, just as some have done.
This panelist who asked Sinclair, “If God does not exist, why would that be wrong?” offered an important argument for the existence of God. He suggested that without God, we have no morals or foundation for how to think about human life or how to behave. We would all fall to our lowest common denominator and certainly our worst trait: utter selfishness.
Beyond that, those who live in the kingdom of self think that God has no right to interfere with what they want to do. If they want to be evil, He should just let them. If they want to rule their own lives, or even shoot others, that is okay.
In Noah’s time, God judged the world with a flood because He “saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.”
Think of it. We were created to live as God does, not build a kingdom of evil. God has the right to stop wickedness, to expect us to live as He created us to live.
As for His children, God says those who are contrite and humble are granted grace and a place in His presence. How could anyone claim injustice when God Himself takes those ‘sinners transformed to innocents’ out of a totally evil environment and grants them eternal life with Himself in paradise?
Determination to rule our own lives puts us on a slippery slope. If we question God’s right to stop our self-determined descent, we are merely adding grease to the slide.
Front Page Challenge panelist, Gordon Sinclair, always tried to stump Christian guests with this question: “If God exists, why did he allow a flood that killed innocent children?”
His question is a challenge to those who worship God. What about His power and goodness? If God is so powerful, why did He wipe out everyone? Couldn’t He have designed a punishment that destroyed only the guilty? And if God is so good, why would He harm children? Finally, one guest stumped him with this response, “If God does not exist, why would that be wrong?”
We live in a society where many think that the way to live is doing whatever you want to, whatever you think is right. While that can describe anarchy, it can also describe our independent Western civilization. Most people in North America rule their own lives. All are trained from early childhood to be individuals, to do our own thing. We are raised with whatever value system appeals to our comfort or personal satisfaction. The greater good is seldom the issue.
In recent weeks, this independent thinking has reared its ugly head in schools across the country. Those who kill fellow students are not thinking about others, only their own desires. What they want is more important than what others need.
I know that I sometimes also have thoughts and ideas that are mean, selfish, and destructive. However, I have little respect for that side of my humanity. That lack of respect would carry over to others had not God assured me of His forgiveness. Because He forgives me, I can forgive the sinful side of other people.
Further, mean and destructive thoughts are common to everyone. For me, they would become actions had not God given me the Holy Spirit that I might control myself. I know that if I decided there was no God, I would be without any mercy towards myself or other people. I would devalue human life, perhaps even want to destroy it, just as some have done.
This panelist who asked Sinclair, “If God does not exist, why would that be wrong?” offered an important argument for the existence of God. He suggested that without God, we have no morals or foundation for how to think about human life or how to behave. We would all fall to our lowest common denominator and certainly our worst trait: utter selfishness.
Beyond that, those who live in the kingdom of self think that God has no right to interfere with what they want to do. If they want to be evil, He should just let them. If they want to rule their own lives, or even shoot others, that is okay.
In Noah’s time, God judged the world with a flood because He “saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.”
Think of it. We were created to live as God does, not build a kingdom of evil. God has the right to stop wickedness, to expect us to live as He created us to live.
As for His children, God says those who are contrite and humble are granted grace and a place in His presence. How could anyone claim injustice when God Himself takes those ‘sinners transformed to innocents’ out of a totally evil environment and grants them eternal life with Himself in paradise?
Determination to rule our own lives puts us on a slippery slope. If we question God’s right to stop our self-determined descent, we are merely adding grease to the slide.
Friday, May 26, 2017
Defining Ambition ................ Parables 593
April 21, 1998
Ambition. If you do not have it, you will never make anything of your life.
At least, that is current popular opinion. Ambition keeps people going, keeps us committed to excellence. It makes us more inventive, creative, competitive. Without it, we would sit back and let the rest of the world walk all over us on their way to success.
Some ambitions are admirable, like being a good friend, beating your personal best in the Olympics, engineering a new and needed product, discovering new cures or getting an education.
Some ambitions are questionable, like holding the world’s record for the largest ball of string, being the first person to eat a bicycle, collecting a garage full of bottle caps, or like Cool Hand Luke—eating thirty-nine hard-boiled eggs.
Some ambitions are dangerous, such as walking across Niagara Falls on a rope, jumping over semi-trailers with a motorcycle, parachuting from the Trade Center or sticking your head in the mouths of lions.
Some ambitions are without regard for anyone else’s life or well-being, like possessing another person’s spouse, getting a promotion by having an employee fired, or setting speed records with the family car while all of them are in it.
Some ambitions are misplaced. One example was the consuming drive of Agrippina, mother of Nero who was determined to place her boy on the throne of Rome. Seeking the counsel of soothsayers, she was told, “Nero will rule, but he will kill his mother.”
Undaunted, she replied, “Let him kill me then.” Through his mother’s scheming, Nero did become the Emperor of Rome but five years later he ordered his mother’s death.
Most people would think twice if their ambitions would destroy them, but selfish extremists rarely do. Out to conquer any obstacle, they are obsessed with reaching their goals, having their way, tearing down all obstacles. If anyone offers them contrary advice, they ignore it. If others are damaged, they blame them and say they “should get out of my way.”
We condemn selfishly ambitious people, not for their desire to do or be something or to achieve, but for their motivation. It is all for themselves. No one else will benefit. In the end, neither will they. By the end, I mean in the day when God evaluates their lives.
God is not impressed with selfish ambition. Galatians 5 lists it along with other sins that characterize the lives of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. Why is it so wrong? According to the Bible description of sin, all people are “like sheep, who have gone astray” and who have “turned to our own way.” Selfish ambition is a visible picture of doing our own thing without any regard for others or for God.
God did not intend we be selfish. He created us in His image and likeness so we could be a visible reflection of Him. When we are driven by selfish ambition, we cannot fulfill His major purpose for us.
God is not selfish. He proved it by coming to earth and taking our punishment for sin on Himself, dying in our place that we might have eternal life. A selfish God would simply say, “Oh if that is the way they want to be, let them go their own way and see what it gets them.”
Nero was a despot who used human torches to light his garden at night. Had Agripinna been more like God intended, she may have looked in the Bible for her life goals and been motivated to teach her son how to love people in generosity and kindness. Instead, he not only killed thousands of other people but his own mother.
So much for selfish ambition.
Ambition. If you do not have it, you will never make anything of your life.
At least, that is current popular opinion. Ambition keeps people going, keeps us committed to excellence. It makes us more inventive, creative, competitive. Without it, we would sit back and let the rest of the world walk all over us on their way to success.
Some ambitions are admirable, like being a good friend, beating your personal best in the Olympics, engineering a new and needed product, discovering new cures or getting an education.
Some ambitions are questionable, like holding the world’s record for the largest ball of string, being the first person to eat a bicycle, collecting a garage full of bottle caps, or like Cool Hand Luke—eating thirty-nine hard-boiled eggs.
Some ambitions are dangerous, such as walking across Niagara Falls on a rope, jumping over semi-trailers with a motorcycle, parachuting from the Trade Center or sticking your head in the mouths of lions.
Some ambitions are without regard for anyone else’s life or well-being, like possessing another person’s spouse, getting a promotion by having an employee fired, or setting speed records with the family car while all of them are in it.
Some ambitions are misplaced. One example was the consuming drive of Agrippina, mother of Nero who was determined to place her boy on the throne of Rome. Seeking the counsel of soothsayers, she was told, “Nero will rule, but he will kill his mother.”
Undaunted, she replied, “Let him kill me then.” Through his mother’s scheming, Nero did become the Emperor of Rome but five years later he ordered his mother’s death.
Most people would think twice if their ambitions would destroy them, but selfish extremists rarely do. Out to conquer any obstacle, they are obsessed with reaching their goals, having their way, tearing down all obstacles. If anyone offers them contrary advice, they ignore it. If others are damaged, they blame them and say they “should get out of my way.”
We condemn selfishly ambitious people, not for their desire to do or be something or to achieve, but for their motivation. It is all for themselves. No one else will benefit. In the end, neither will they. By the end, I mean in the day when God evaluates their lives.
God is not impressed with selfish ambition. Galatians 5 lists it along with other sins that characterize the lives of those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. Why is it so wrong? According to the Bible description of sin, all people are “like sheep, who have gone astray” and who have “turned to our own way.” Selfish ambition is a visible picture of doing our own thing without any regard for others or for God.
God did not intend we be selfish. He created us in His image and likeness so we could be a visible reflection of Him. When we are driven by selfish ambition, we cannot fulfill His major purpose for us.
God is not selfish. He proved it by coming to earth and taking our punishment for sin on Himself, dying in our place that we might have eternal life. A selfish God would simply say, “Oh if that is the way they want to be, let them go their own way and see what it gets them.”
Nero was a despot who used human torches to light his garden at night. Had Agripinna been more like God intended, she may have looked in the Bible for her life goals and been motivated to teach her son how to love people in generosity and kindness. Instead, he not only killed thousands of other people but his own mother.
So much for selfish ambition.
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