James 1
“So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his
pursuits”
The fuel for my existence has been tainted with my
understanding that I need to strive to make money so that I will continue to
live. Where does this come from? It does not matter. What matters is that this
idea is a reality for me and it is up to me to choose how to deal with it.
Margin Call is a
straight forward movie with no twists about the decline of a firm and the process
the company undergoes to sell its stocks before they are worthless. At the end
we find a main character (Sam) to be digging a hole for his brown Labrador retriever
that had just passed away. He is found digging the hole in the front yard of
his ex-wife’s house when she comes out to see what is going on. He tells her it
has been a long day and she says goodnight and goes inside.
This movie portrayed this verse in a way that helped me to
understand it more. The character in the movie had spent 34 years of his life
chasing after money based on an equation – his pursuit. His companion (wife) leaves
him because he no longer cares about her as his pursuit. The company goes under
and his chase for money is over. His second companion (dog) leaves him by way
of death. What does this man have to live for now that he has no money, no
career and no companions?
God challenged me on my being up in Washington so far
because I have been seeking after money. I have been seeking after money when I
have money in the bank. I have not been seeking after a job for God I have been
seeking after a job for myself. Granted it is for my family to be supported but
God tells me that if I seek his kingdom those cares will be taken care of. (Mt.
6:33)
I’ve recently realized I do not want to end up like Sam. My
new motivation for finding a job must be a job for God and not for myself.
