I Am...wretched, miserable, poor, naked, and blind

Rev 3:16-17 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Do I really need to comment...read the verse again. I am pointing one finger out, but three are pointing back at me. I am an American and I know this verse applies because it applies to me. How much time have I spent praying before the Lord in the recent past except at dinner and church. Have I led my family in devotions recently? Have I given up a Sunday service for football, skiing, or riding our motorized toys? How long has it been since I opened the Word outside of a Church service? But I'm happy...

I have spent my kids inheritance on high maintenance stuff that only causes worry and pain. I don't have any money, but I have a lot of stuff. Randy Alcore in his book, "Treasure Principles," has an entire chapter on the tyranny of stuff.; how it owns us amid How it requires our time and money. But I'm happy...

But…wait, how did they pay for everything? They have a mortgage of $300,000 with a payment of $1600 per month. The truck payment is $500 and the car payment is $300 per month. The vehicles sitting in the back have payments of $1000 per month. The department store bill where they bought the big screen TV is $200 per month. They owe $10,000 in credit card bills amounting to another $400 per month. The daycare bill is $800 per month. That is whopping $4800 per month without getting to most of the essentials. They aren’t millionaires, they are debtors. Mommy wants to be a stay at home mom, but the “want” bills are to high, so she has to work to take care of the needs…of the lenders. You get what you want, but you lose what you need. Robert E. Lee said, “you are free to act as much as you are free from debt.”

A debtor gets what he want, but may lose the things that are of real value. In the great real estate bust of 2007 people are loosing their homes, cars, and work. Families are breaking up because of debt. Did the stuff really make a difference to what you really value or did it represent what you value? Are we wretched, miserable, poor, naked and blind?

You’ve heard it before, “who ever dies with the most toys wins,” but in reality he still dies. We have a society that is over indulgent and selfish. This state of want has created a debt monster that is now uncontrollable. We doubled mortgage debt in only 6 years between 2001 and 2007 from 4.9 trillion to 10.2 trillion. Consumer debt (autos, credit card, etc.) has risen from 1.7 trillion in 2001 to 2.6 trillion in 2007. This is little deceiving because many people have rolled consumer debt into home equity to the tune of 2 trillion dollars since 2001. In January of 2008 52% of all homes for sale in California were foreclosures. We have been duped to think that the American dream is owning things. Are we wretched, miserable, poor, naked, and blind?

Rev 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." We can change. Look to the author and finisher of our faith: Jesus Christ.