Two masters.

It's time to get philosophical, folks.

Over the Christmas holiday I took a solo trip to San Diego because my grandma passed away and many members of my extended family were gathering for a graveside service to honor her. The family activities encompassed less than 24 hours. My trip was four days. What does a mom who is surrounded by kids for most of the day do with four days pretty much to herself? Sure, I slept, ate far too much, shopped, and visited with family and friends. But what I will remember most about this trip is the quiet. Uninterrupted stillness. It just doesn't happen much around here. I suppose once upon a time the idea of stillness didn't do much for me. But now? I love it. I like to think, to feel, to read, to philosophize, to reach all sorts of bizarre conclusions about life.

So here's what I came up with on this particular trip. It was spawned by two events.

1. I went shopping at some outlets with Tim's mom and grandmother. We passed a store that sells handbags. The store was jam-packed, piquing our interest, but in an effort to avoid the crowds, and because handbags were not on our shopping lists, we opted for other stores. Later, as we returned to our car, again passing the same store, it seemed to have cleared out, generally speaking, so we went in to see what the commotion had been all about.

Turns out they were handing out 50% off everything in the store coupons. I picked up the closest handbag. It retailed for $500. The "outlet" price was $300. With my coupon, I could have bought this particular bag for only $150. People were grabbing them by the armful. Maybe it's just me, but there's something seriously disturbing about the inherent materialism in such a display. It kind of made me sick, actually. I mean, we're talking about an object that is designed to carry your stuff. Who needs to pay $150 for that? I don't mean to pass judgment on those who carry stylish handbags - in fact, I'm ignorant enough that I probably wouldn't even recognize a fashionable one if it spelled it out right on the bag. But the experience left an indelible impression on me, for some reason.

2. I was studying the scriptures one morning and happened to find the scripture about how no man can serve two masters. The last phrase in that particular verse is "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon". Mammon means riches. Which basically means that God and riches are two opposing forces - you are either serving one or serving the other. Which one do I want to serve?
Now, it's important not to oversimplify this. Sometimes an emphasis on riches cannot be easily detected. Other times it's blatantly obvious. CEO compensation is over 200 times that of the average worker in his/her company. Other sources put it higher. I'm not advocating a system other than capitalism - only illustrating where greed can take us.

The scriptures are replete with examples of prosperity breeding pride, pride breeding wickedness, ultimately leading to the destruction of a people. But it contains warnings not just for the rich. Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite, and whose bellies are not satisfied, and whose hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men's goods, whose eyes are full of greediness, and who will not labor with your own hands. I'm not saying that all people who are poor are like this, only that the poor and the rich are equally capable of placing their trust in the things of this world.

My life is one of abundance. It's safe to say that I'm surrounded by others who enjoy similar abundance, which truly makes it difficult to distinguish between wants and needs. If I were to compare my life with so many around the globe, it would seem indulgent. That doesn't mean that I feel that I am supposed to live like they do. But it might. At the bare minimum, I can't forget them and their plight. I know someday I am going to have to account for the kind of steward I have been. I feel the weight of that heavily. One day, I hope to answer with a pure heart that I sought for the kingdom of God above riches.