Deuteronomy
8:11-20. Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have
gained me this wealth.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives
you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to
your ancestors, as he is doing today.
This reading speaks to me as an incredibly
counter-culture message. We rely on the myth of the rugged individual or
self-made person as the archetype of success achieved through hard work, force
of will and luck. Success we are told comes from long solitary efforts at a
desk or laboratory, daring bets, steadfast persistence in relation to
adversity, and the flash of genius seem to form our modern vision of how we
succeed. It is easy to think that this passage is a relic — a message only
appropriate to backward superstitious people who lived thousands of years ago
who need the myth that God created all that is good in their lives. But in our
hearts and minds we know the passage is not a relic. It is calling us into a
more accurate and complete view of our place in God’s creation in which our
lives are linked to God and all creation.
God’s covenant provides unearned unlimited love. We
don’t take a test to get this love. We can’t buy or otherwise convince someone
that we are entitled to this love. We are filled with this love every moment of
our lives. When aware of this love, we can do amazing things. When we think
that the source of our success is ourselves, we forget our parents, teachers
and others in our lives who helped us to become who we are. Without the active
knowledge that all we have is a gift from a loving God, we can easily fall prey
to messages that our success is all about us. We act on the relentless messages
that we focus on self-improvement of our wealth, attractiveness, charisma, and
power. In short, we become blind to the life and love surrounding us.
— Christopher Breunig
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