Lead Pastor
How Folly Lures Us With False Promises
One of my very favorite movies, watched annually in my home, is the 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life. It is a story that contrasts two men: George Bailey and the wicked, ornery old Mr. Potter. George Bailey is finally going to chase his ambition and leave the shackles of the small town of Bedford Falls and a dead-end career path at the Building and Loan.
Before leaving, however, his father dies and the board gathers to discuss the future of the Building and Loan in light of George’s impending departure and his father’s death. Just as George Bailey is about to leave the board meeting and head to school, Mr. Potter moves that they dissolve the Building and Loan. George stops, turns around, and exclaims, “Neither you nor anyone else can say anything against his character, because his whole life he never once thought of himself…people were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they’re cattle. Well, in my book, my father died a much richer man than you’ll ever be!”
The contrast in the film is between the wicked way of Mr. Potter who used his resources to put everyone else at a disadvantage, and George Bailey who used his resources to give everyone else an advantage over himself. The book of Proverbs provides a similar contrast between the wicked and the righteous when it comes to stewarding resources.
In order to move toward the righteous way of life concerning our resources, we first must discover through Proverbs how folly lures us. Though the lure of folly might seem dark and daunting, there is hope as we also discover how God’s wisdom liberates us. And hope extends even further as we discover what God’s wisdom make us. In three consecutive Pastor’s Corner articles, we will examine each of these categories.
Folly lures us into unimaginable loss and an unbearable load by falsely promising three things: security, satisfaction, and salvation.
Folly falsely promises security in riches.
Proverbs 11:28: “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.” Folly says that you can bank on or trust in your wealth.
Proverbs 18:1: “The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.”
Folly markets wealth as a place for safe hiding, like that of a fortified city, but it is imaginary.
Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:17, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not …to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” Riches are not a reliable place to hide your life but it is ever so tempting.
Also, in 1 Timothy 6:9, Paul writes, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” Folly traps us by voicing loudly and boldly that you can bank on, hide in, and rely on wealth. Wealth can be very lethal because it produces self-sufficiency and self-reliance and thus one’s ultimate security becomes the self.
Folly falsely promises satisfaction in riches.
It is written in Proverbs 15:16-17, “Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil. Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.” Not only is it clear that wealth is often lethal, but wealth is always limited. Folly presents wealth as providing unlimited satisfaction. But it always turns out to be the “fattened calf with hate” which is ultimately empty.
As Dr. Bruce Waltke says, “Money can put food on the table but it cannot give you fellowship around the table. Money can give you a house but it cannot give you a home. Money can give you luxuries but it cannot give you love.” Riches cannot deliver the true satisfaction that we chase. Folly makes promises that it cannot keep and leaves its victims with bankruptcy of heart and life.
Folly falsely promises salvation.
Proverbs 11:4 says, “Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” Bluntly put, wealth cannot save anyone from wrath or death. It may rescue you from inconvenience and discomfort but it cannot provide eternal rescue.
An allegory was once told of an angel who appeared to a rich man, and he said, “What do you want?” The rich man said, “I want the newspaper one year from today.” He wanted to see the stock market page to know all the blue chips. While he was calculating what a killing he was going to make, his eyes glanced across the page and he saw his picture in the obituary column. He lost all interest in the stock market page.
The truth for all of us is that our picture is in some upcoming edition of the obituary column. No amount of money can save us from it. The only wealth that can rescue us from the wrath of God is the wealth of Christ’s righteousness imputed to our account by grace at his cost.
Folly falsely promises that wealth will deliver what only God can give: security, satisfaction, and salvation. Are we tuning in to folly more than wisdom when it comes to our money? Are we buying folly’s false offer concerning money and wealth? As we will gladly see in part two, wisdom is worthy of our full attention because it graciously frees us to live in light of all that God has given us – security, satisfaction, and salvation.
Upcoming
Part 2: Wisdom and Wealth – How God’s wisdom liberates us
Part 3: Wisdom and Wealth – What God’s wisdom makes us