As a Man Thinketh

Old frontier movies and revolutionary films of the 30s and 40s have been replaying for decades, and now their spirit shows up in the streets as shallow, undisciplined youth reenact Hollywood fantasies long-haired “frontiersmen” and ragged “revolutionaries” railing against the Establishment. Empty-headed people, especially undisciplined and faithless youth, are always susceptible to such hypnotic suggestions, mistaking stale movie clichés for originality. But the deeper problem is that for years we have fed on the bread of envy: our entertainment, politics, religion, and advertising have been shaped by those who preach jealousy toward anyone who has more. What was once stupid entertainment for adults has become a creed for their children. As Solomon said, “The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up” (Prov. 23:8) envy is a poison that destroys peace, joy, and health. Better a humble meal with love than a feast flavored with hatred (Prov. 15:17). The real question is this: at your table, in your home, in your heart who is the unseen guest: the Spirit of the Lord, bringing liberty and peace, or the corrosive power of envy?