Making money in the Lord’s service.

I’m off track when I view godliness as a path to wealth. Over the years charlatans exploited the faithful in order to get rich. TV preachers being the most famous, but before televangelists came sellers of get-out-of-purgatory indulgences and hawkers of enhanced prosperity (with a large enough donation).

Paul addressed this foolishness. He wrote of people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Paul then countered, godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

Contentment results from first loving God and loving others. A spirit at ease forms as I meditate on the fact that all I have comes from the hand of God. He gives me enough—more than enough, in fact. Food, clothing and a roof over my head meets my needs. Throw in a hot shower and I’m in the bonus. As I learn to grasp what is enough, I’m on the path to peace of mind. A quiet heart leads to a tranquil mindset and a good night’s sleep.

But how to foster such an attitude in a world committed to making me feel unsatisfied? Turn off my screens, take a walk, breath deep and ask the Lord for his peace that surpasses understanding. Such a gift truly is great gain.

1 Timothy 6:5-6

Photo by kerry rawlinson

If you spend any time on college campuses you’ll notice the names on buildings. What used to be called simply the Science Labs is now the Walter H. White Science Labs, named after a generous benefactor. Colleges and universities constantly solicit gifts, and naming a building is one way to reward an openhanded donor.

I don’t knock that type of giving at all. I and my children benefit from such contributions. But that level of largesse remains beyond my ability. Fortunately, in the Lord’s eyes the value of the gift rests in the heart of the giver, not the total on the check.

In fact, there’s no need for me to let anyone know about the good things I do, be it financial giving or helping a neighbor clean up their yard. Paul wrote, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

People notice your good deeds, even when you try to hide or act quietly. You gain a reputation of a person who helps others. No need to flaunt your kindnesses. The right people will see and understand.

Which is quite freeing. I don’t need to keep score. If someday I come into a fortune and endow the David L. Dishman School of Daydreaming, so be it. In the meantime, I can do the bits and pieces of good for others I find in front of me every day.

1 Timothy 5:25

Photo by Wonderlane

Does this line from Proverbs sound like the situation many embrace in our world today? When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.

Fortunately, Solomon added a hopeful addendum: But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

I see folks running wild on my screens every day. Whether it’s riots or wars or simply debauchery, left on our own we devolve toward selfishness and abandon.

But the law of the Lord carries to a different horizon. Those who obey experience joy—which is hard to come by. Notice Solomon does not say those who obey the law have life easy, or don’t face problems, or are not tempted to run unchecked. But reading the Scriptures and applying them bends our souls away from a wildness that leads to emptiness, and towards enjoyment and pleasure in the Lord.

The proverb points out the stark difference in these two approaches to life. Shunt the ways of God aside, throw off all restraint and party like it’s 1999. Or, invest in the teachings found in the Scriptures, and quietly yet firmly say yes to the principles found within. One way leads to chaos, the other to flourishing.

Proverbs 29:18

Photo by Erik Mclean

I finally caught up with my Bible reading after several weeks away from home. I read through the Bible every year, following a plan to keep me on schedule. But I find that times of travel, and especially the Camino de Santiago, throw me off track. Early mornings, late nights, and the physical exhaustion of walking 12 miles a day up and down hills leave little time for contemplative reading.

But now I’m back, and I’ll get ahead before my next trip. While the back and forth helps, I gain more when I stay consistent. Steadiness is the key to reading the Bible. A portion every day, day after day after day, builds depth and conviction. To read Scripture forms a life-giving habit. It matters less how much I read, but more that I’m in the pages of the Good Book every day.

The writer of Hebrews tells us, The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The Scriptures are alive—what a powerful thought! Interacting with this living entity opens us to a deeper enchantment. Not merely religious phrases on fancy paper, but God-breathed words illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Along with prayer, reading the Bible with a focus on the Lord forms the most divine activity you and I may partake on our own.

I encourage you to read a chapter or two. Turn to the Gospel of John and let Jesus amaze you with his presence. Ask the Holy Spirit for the ability to see wonderful things in his law. Read every day—it will change your life.

Hebrews 4:12

Photo by Joel Muniz