But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
“Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”
Richard Foster (b. 1942) in Celebration of Discipline (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1998) 1.
I try not to travel internationally in July. It’s our anniversary and my wife’s birthday month.
This year I also need to get a new passport as mine is full. While spending July in Colorado I plan to explore Colorado voices that shape the modern generosity conversation.
Few speak more strongly into the vision to live simply and give generously better than Richard Foster.
He acknowledges first and foremost that we live in an era where people exhibit superficiality and expect instant gratification and describe this situation as a spiritual problem. He’s right.
Superficiality often links to the purchase of possessions, memberships, and experiences to exhibit a certain status or maintain some level of appearance or reputation in society.
Instant gratification says I want it all for myself, for my family, for my grandchildren, and I want it now. Money becomes the power to get what you want. That’s the spiritual side of this.
When we use money the way God designs we don’t have resources to buy everything we want, when we want it. When we live sacrificially, we make it so our lusts, our wants, our desires don’t control us.
We also position ourselves to depend on God not for everything we want but what He knows we need. These are the lessons that deep people learn. We need more deep people today.
Praying for Daily Meditations reader, Steven Jankord, to have a good surgery today. He’s a deep guy. He’s needed for many more years of kingdom work. Pray with me for a good surgery and full recovery in Jesus name.