Excess

Yesterday my devotions were on the fall of Babylon as described in Revelations 18. Babylon was a real place that fell, but the Babylonian mentality also describes our culture to a 'T.' This study raises three questions:

• Can we be culturally relevant for the cause of Christ without becoming spiritually irrelevant?
• Can we serve the world in the name of Christ without becoming a servant to the world?
• Can we live in this excessive, self-absorbed culture without becoming corrupted by it?

In chapter four of Daniel, we looked at how Nebuchadnezzar was "at home in his palace, contented and prosperous"...and he had a dream that troubled him. Daniel told him that the dream was about him - how he would lose his sanity for seven years - and he advised the king: "Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that your prosperity will continue." Unfortunately, Nebuchadnezzar didn't listen and become an advocate for the poor, etc, and the dream was fulfilled (see Daniel 4). He was rich, happy, excessive and all about himself until God turned him around by fulfilling this prophesy.

If you remember from my earlier blog post, Babylon represents our culture in many ways. The people of Babylon esteemed luxury, wealth, intelligence, youth and beauty, etc. Two days ago, we learned that Babylon is the city of the devil where Satan provides false fulfillment to entice people away from God: "Satan uses Babylon, the symbolic persona of all that seems beautiful, enticing and instantly gratifying in the world, as a puppet to corrupt people." "With the exception of Jerusalem, no other city is mentioned more than Babylon in the Bible. Scripture refers to Babylon 290 times and presents this city as the epitome of evil and rebellion against God." "...Babylon was the capital city of the first world ruler and is pictured as Satan's capital city on earth throughout Scripture..."

There is much to learn in both Daniel and Revelation about the Babylonian mentality and how we as Christians need to not become corrupted by it. In Revelation 18, we see that Babylon offers the seductive beauty of worldy & false fulfillment for our pockets and our souls. 'Babylons' are characterized by excessive luxury. The study goes on to say "The point is not that God only honors a vow of poverty. The point is avoiding the corruption of gross excess that catapults us so far into our wants that we cease to recognize need. Let's face it. Sometimes moderation in a culture of excess can be more challenging than abstinence."

"The endless addictions of our culture betray our trouble with 'some' in a land of much. Revelation 18:9 talks about 'kings of the earth who commited adultery with her and shared her luxury.' One definition for the Greek word for luxury is 'to act with wantonness from abundance.' If abudance leads to pride, decadence or an insatiable lust for more, we, like the kings described in Revelation 18, are being corrupted by it."

The sentence that struck me the most was "Sometimes moderation in a culture of excess can be more challenging than abstinence." How true in my own life! It's far easier to avoid things altogether than have to show moderation, which is a fruit of the Spirit. Moderation seems to get me all the time! I'm an 'all or nothing' kind of person. I pursue what I set my heart to do with sincere passion. But, moderation? That's far more difficult! A little in a land of much? Oh, Lord, how we need your help!

Daniel 6:4 (coming back to the story of the lion's den that we're familiar with!), says that the conspirators who wanted to trap Daniel "could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent." God wants us to be His representatives in this world, distinguishing ourselves with exceptional God-given qualities (Daniel 6:3) and performing all tasks as if we were serving God Himself...guarding ourselves voraciously from BOTH corruption and negligence. "Those of us who have received Christ as our Savior are inhabited by the empowering, consecrating Spirit of the living God. We're extraordinary because He's extraordinary. Let's start living like it."

Lord, help us live like you want us to, with moderation rather than excess, spending ourselves on behalf of the poor and oppressed, and being diligent in prayer and trustworthy rather than corrupt or negligent in this Babylonian world. We give you the glory & honor of being extraordinary. In Jesus' name, AMEN!