Self-glorification & Luxury

[ NOTE: This is from Saturday, November 15th]

"Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great... Render to her as she herself has rendered, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double draught for her in the cup she mixed. As she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so give her a like measure of torment of grief..."

(Revelation 18:2, 6-7a)

"Babylon" is seen as a woman personified here in Revelation 18... and it's time for her judgment. She will be repaid for her wickedness. But what's interesting here is the indictment: "She glorified herself and lived luxuriously." She glorified herself - looked after her own interests and did whatever she wanted to do, whatever "felt good" at the time. She focused on herself - no one else. And she lived in luxury. Wow.

In the U.S., a vast majority of us long to "live luxuriously." Nice house. Car. Clothes. Food. Toys. Travel. Entertainment. Luxury is marketed all over our culture. "You deserve the best," we're told. And we buy it. Literally! But far too often "living luxuriously" and "glorifying oneself" go hand in hand. We want the very best and are encouraged to go for it.

And yet Jesus taught about giving ourselves away for others... about becoming servant leaders... about reaching out to help "the least of these" among us. Despite everything we've heard, it's not about us and the pursuit of our own personal gain. It's about sharing the resources we've been blessed with... and giving glory to God.

PRAYER: Gracious God, you have indeed abundantly blessed us. May I not get caught up on accumulating things or acquiring wealth or living in luxury. I don't want to be self-centered or focused solely on my own self-glorification. I want to be the kind of person you need me to be. I want to give myself away for the world. I want to be like Jesus. Please help me. AMEN.