The Diffrerence

My life is very intertwined, and it wasn't always that way, as a matter of fact, I was quite disconnected and far from intertwined for years, personally.  My life was distinctly cubbyholed with virtually no segue between.  Now, my life flows around my service to YHWH and connects to that fact constantly.  My business is either an extension of ministry or a support of it.  The homestead enables me to not have to work in town or be dependent upon disability income, as well as preparing to share with those who would like to be less dependent on the developing new world order.

In conversations, I continue to hear and contribute the same basic information.  Life is getting expensive!  No doubt the cost of living appears to be just beyond the earning power of the majority, but is that because we have redefined the actual true cost of living?  In reading earlier American history, pre-America European history, and of course back to Biblical history, we have definitely redefined "need."  Our cost of living seems to include several extras we now consider essential to our every day living.  The old saying about "keeping up with the Joneses" seems to have blurred into obsolescence with so many programs to "level the playing field."  Life isn't a playing field and it's not about leisure time.

I think the real problem began when relaxation after a hard day's work, was replaced with the "need" for entertainment when the mantra became "work smarter not harder!"  I'm not claiming to be the hardest working person around, but I do know, by the end of my average day, I want to relax, not be entertained, or worse go somewhere to unwind!  We used to work hard enough in our every day life that we "unwound" as we went!  Work is about a meaningful accomplishment, not a job to fill time so we could afford to kill time!

The economy of the kingdom does include or allow for the currency of our present system.  Abraham bought a field with measured silver.  Messiah had the disciples catch a fish with a coin in it's mouth.  Torah addresses the topic of wages.  We are called to work and earn and be in debt to no one, so paying our bills in a timely manner is as much of our witness as teaching and preaching.  The situation today, though, is there is a day coming in which the currency will be replaced by a mark that is of eternal consequence.  The sooner we sort through what we actually need vs. what we think we want will make this next question simpler.

If we worked hard enough to "wind down" through the work day, to enjoy a relaxing evening and look forward to a day of rest, would we need so much entertainment?