Proverbs 19:1-3 (ESV)

[1] Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity

than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

[2] Desire without knowledge is not good,

and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

[3] When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,

his heart rages against the LORD.

We have our priorities wrong. We are constantly chasing after wealth, comfort, affluence, and ease. The “easy life” is our pursuit. But God says that there is something better. Poverty with integrity is better than affluence with duplicity and dishonesty. We have television shows that give us a glimpse into the “good life” of wealth and self-indulgence. We dress, talk, and act like singers, actors, and politicians who have no idea what real life is like. Yet somehow, they have become our model of the ideal life. There is a reason we call them idols.

The really incredible thing is that when things don’t turn out for us the way we want, we blame God. We lack wisdom, we ignore his counsel, we set our hearts on earthly things, and then blame him when we don’t get what we want. If we drive over a bed of nails, it is not God’s fault that we get a flat tire. If we constantly live above our means, it is not God’s fault when we find ourselves in debt. If we ignore God’s counsel it should come as no surprise when things go wrong, yet somehow it is God’s fault.

News Flash: God does not exist to make us happy. God desires that we find pleasure in him, but God does not exist for the sole purpose of keeping us comfortable. Jesus said that we would have tribulation in this world. Early believers gave their lives to the truth of the resurrected Savior. Today, we somehow believe that Jesus died to make us happy. “God has a wonderful plan for your life…” What if that wonderful plan involves poverty? Are you okay with that? What if that wonderful plan includes years in prison for your faith? Are you willing to go there? What if that wonderful plan means that you will never see the fruit of your labors because you are asked to lay down your life for the Savior? Are you willing to go there? God does not exist to make us happy.

In our culture of ease and affluence, that is a difficult truth for us to comprehend. Even our churches have bought into this idea. We teach that God wants us healthy and wealthy. But God’s word says that there is something of greater value than wealth and comfort. God wants us wise, discerning, and of godly character. He wants us to walk with humility, generosity, and self-sacrifice. These are the things God values. It is time that we stop blaming God for the consequences of living with wrong priorities. Alfred B. Smith wrote the following words. We would do well to heed them.

With eternity's values in view Lord

With eternity's values in view

May I do each day's work for Jesus

With eternity's values in view