The Shepherd Press Blog

And why do you worry … ?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

— Matthew 6:28-34

Last week we examined the exhortation in Proverbs that we should not wear ourselves out to become rich. Rather, as leaders of our homes, we should invest ourselves in the things that producing lasting treasure. In response, some might say, “I am not trying to get rich; I just want to put food on the table for my family, put clothes on our backs and a roof over our heads.”

Invest Wisely

Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
  have the wisdom to show restraint.
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
  for they will surely sprout wings
  and fly off to the sky like an eagle. —Proverbs 23:4-5 

T. Rowe Price … Chuck Schwab … Ameritrade … Scottrade … Fidelity

These investment firms are frequent visitors in your home. No, they aren’t invited guests. They attach themselves to the televised sporting events that are the favorites of American men. So, just after your team scores, Chuck Schwab shows up, encouraging you to make wise investments using his brokerage firm. Just as Chuck is saying goodbye, the owner of Scottrade flies by in his helicopter to let you know how his firm makes investing affordable. These commercials are then followed by a commercial for Lexus. The message is clear: security and peace of mind come from making wise investments and making your money grow. Things provide accomplishment and stability. While it is good to save and plan for the future, your security lies elsewhere.

The Emptiness of a Championship

Don Fields left this comment on the second of three posts about the Super Bowl.

Excellent thoughts!

We cannot view any medium as "neutral." There is always a motivation and a message and we need to be evaluating and teaching our children to be evaluating.

One thing you haven't covered is that we should discuss the emptiness of a championship. As I watched the coverage after the game I heard much talk about Tom Coughlin, the Giants head coach, telling his players that second to family there is no feeling like winning a championship. This is a message that needs to be dealt with biblically.

Thanks, Don for raising an important consideration. As our culture’s spectacles become more elaborate, the emptiness that Don speaks of increases. I believe this indicates that the harder man searches for meaning and purpose apart from God the more futile and frustrating his search becomes.