Life Complexes (1)
We are perpetually in conflict and at war with our sole enemy, the Devil. To win this great battle, we must be clad with the armor of God (Eph 6:11-17). We must rid ourselves of life complexes that hinder us in the conflict with our spiritual enemy. We must lay aside the excessive desire for possessions, the captivating love of money, power, and position, an endless pursuit of pleasure, slavery to sinful passions, or a burdensome legalism.
Life complexes are genuinely complex. It depends on what you make of it. It also depends on the perspective you use. Only God’s perspective is good, pleasing, and perfect. Satan has designed its perspective that looks enticing but leads to death. Fleshy perspective also looks enticing and beautiful but leads to death. I am taking a critical look at all perspectives and do what is known as SWOT analysis to reach the only conclusion, God’s perspective.
Let’s carefully look at any living creature to understand its enormous complexity. If you have a pet like a dog or a cat, consider the complexities that must enable the pet to move about, play, remember you, show affection, eat and reproduce. If you have ever held a beloved pet in your hands, completely limb or dead, you may feel or experience the helplessness of the most intelligent scientist when it comes to the overwhelming problem of trying to create life. In nature, we have only matter, energy, time, chance, physical laws, and no guiding force, purpose, or goal.
Man is overwhelmed by the complexities of life despite the newly accumulated knowledge, advanced tools, and experience. Despite the intelligence advanced from Information Technology, we are still far from solving life complexes. All living things are incredibly complex; even the prokaryote bacterial cell is a masterpiece of miniaturized complexity that makes a spaceship seem relatively low-tech.
However, none surpasses the overall complexity of the human being. Each person is constructed of molecules and cells, and the human brain alone is filled with billions of cells forming trillions of connections. The human brain is far more complicated than any computer as it can store and creatively manipulate infinite amounts of information. Human brain capabilities and potentials stagger the imagination, and the more you use your brain, the better the brain becomes. It recalls the uniqueness of our creation by God in His image. God is truly remarkable. God is truly remarkable and excellent. He is the Omnipresence, Omnipotent and Omniscience Creator. Glory, Honor and Adoration to God our creator.
The heart, soul, and mind of humans work together to attempt to explain the complexities of life. There are critical decisions in our lives that we must make that affect us for the rest of our years.
These life-changing decisions include
- Type of Education;
- Religion to follow;
- Career or job to do;
- A place to live;
- Who to marry;
- Number of Children among others; and
- Decisions on surrounding activities.
The question is, what are the things so essential to adult life? Let us consider some of these Essentials.
Work or Job:
You must have a job to survive and alleviate poverty. Your job provides you with money for life’s basic needs. Whether you work for someone or yourself, it requires commitment for maximum profitability and gains to provide good things in life.
A House (A Place to Live):
Human beings, unlike beasts, require shelter and a place to live; even rabbits hide in holes to shelter them. A man may rent, purchase or build a house to live in, the requirement is the same, and it involves money. Money acquired from work determines your basic standard of living. Little money enables you to rent a place, and more money makes you build or purchase your own house. One of the basic needs of man is a place to live in, a house to retire after a day’s labor, and a house to entertain friends and relations. If you wander around without a stable place to live, you can never be fulfilled or have the will for a stable job.
Food:
Food is essential to keep healthy and remain alive. You can cook your meal, your wife can prepare your meal, or you can buy from various food vendors. A la Carte or fast food is immaterial. What is essential is the provision of food to eat. You need money to have food to eat and provide for the entire family. Without money, you will scavenge for food, which is very unhealthy.
The other essentials include water, light, transportation, and clothing. For all these, money is essential. It brings me to one conclusion without money, life is empty. Satan corrupted money, not that money is terrible as a medium of exchange. Satan used the money to complicate life complexities. Money is worshipped by so many that they have lost the essential thing, the salvation of their souls. How do we cope in this life with or without money? How can one live in stupendous wealth without sacrificing eternity? Jesus never said one could not be rich but warned us not to worship money. “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar and unto God what is God.” Money is valuable; it eases our plans of survival in this world.
Money enhances and helps spread the Gospel, and it promotes evangelism. We can provide for the poor, clothe the naked, and feed the hungry with money. Reading and understanding Jesus’ sayings in Matthew 25: 34-40 is necessary. For Jesus said, providing physical help to others is the same as helping our Savior himself. “Thus, says the Lord of hosts. ‘Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1:7). Through prophet Haggai, God told the people in Jerusalem to consider their ways after the exile. They were living selfish lives of luxury instead of completing God’s temple. It reveals to us the essential.
We should spend money wisely. We should use the money to help the church and the needy. You must provide for your family because whosoever fails to provide for his family is worse than an infidel. Free giving is a covenant way to enjoy the garden of financial fortunes. God is committed to opening the heaven and blessing you with a double portion, but you have your part to play. 1 Samuel 2:30b says, “Those who honor me, I will honor.”
Those who water will be watered. So wise spending is the way out. Commit your wealth to the Lord, and He will direct your path to disburse and spend wisely to avoid losing the most precious thing, your salvation. Do not be a slave to your money; free giving enriches you more. Learn to give, and you will be richly blessed. Worship only your God who redeems you with His precious blood. Be very careful and never allow Satan to rule you through money.
