This post is part of a collection of posts, and joined in on-line interaction with scores of others, in the reading of Jeremiah Burroughs' "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment"
As I have been working my way through Jeremiah Burroughs' text, I happened across this from John Wesley: "The three greatest punishments which God can afflict on sinners, in this world are:
- To let loose their desires upon them.
- To let them succeed in all they wish for.
- To suffer them to continue many years in the quiet enjoyment thereof.
As I continue to wrestle with the concept of contentment, I am beginning to allow these precepts into my life.
It's not that success is evil in itself, it's that we have stamped in our natures, this propensity to begin to worship ourselves, when great success happens upon us.
When great success occasions our lives, we creatures think that we have no more use of God.
This, as you can imagine, is subtle, yet greatly destructive, and the world is littered with the bones of many who have fallen because of such pride.
Therefore, will not God on occasion bring about a great financial recession to reign in the pride of his creation?
