And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to
virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to
patience godliness; And to godliness
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 2Pe 1:5-7
When you listen to politicians talk about solutions to the
problems of our nation, you mostly hear them talk about the economy or about
education. They seem to think that if everyone had equal access to wealth and became
more intelligent, our problems would be solved. In other words, they act as if
wealth and intelligence makes a person good. Historically we know this is not
true. We see extreme manifestations of
evil in people who are wealthy and intelligent. And we see smart, rich people
who are incredibly selfish, and who diminish, rather than enhance, the common
good of the human family. Some very
intelligent, well-educated people get rich “on the backs” of those who are
struggling financially. We understand that it is government’s responsibility to
work for the economic and educational welfare of its people. And we understand
that government cannot dictate religion. But true and sincere devotion to a God
Who loves and desires the best for all people—Who commands us to love each
other and responsibly bear our own burdens, and holds us accountable for how
well we do those things, is the only final solution to the baser nature of the
human personality which causes the problems that drag us down. Only within the
arena of psycho-spiritual maturity do we use our wealth and intelligence wisely—that
is, for the common good—not because anyone forces us to, or because laws dictate
it, but of our own free will and choice.
This is why anyone who desires the prosperity of a nation [or any
people-group] should encourage all pathways that lead to spiritual growth or
wisdom [which is not the same as intelligence].
From the Christian standpoint, we realize how important Christ is in
this regard. We see very clearly in the Bible that wealth and intelligence will
never be enough to sustain or prosper the human family. The Bible places knowledge under faith and
virtue on the list of traits to acquire [see above verse]. And the knowledge
that it encourages is first and foremost the knowledge of what God has revealed
to us through the prophets and His son, Jesus.
{Study to show yourself
approved unto God, a workman [in the Kingdom] who need not be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth…2Ti 2:15}
And Jesus warns us sternly about the temptations of wealth—the
deceitfulness of or delight in riches. And the Bible elsewhere cautions against
the “love of money”, which is depicted as the “root of all kinds of evil”. [Mt.13:22,
1Tim. 6:10]. Without the self-restraint
engendered by spiritual growth, the government must continue to pass and enforce
laws that force us to be civil and fair. But laws can never do this
successfully, and the culture begins to sink down under the weight of its
cruelty, entitlement, meanness and selfishness. An external power becomes more
and more necessary. Many years ago I asked
a German woman who had lived under the rise of Hitler’s regime how such a man
could rise to power. She said “Oh, the people loved him. He made the streets
safe to walk again.” Where spiritual maturity is lacking, the baser drives of
the human nature dominate, and life becomes increasingly more intolerable. This
is fertile ground for authoritarianism; someone with power to set things
straight. But how rare has it been in human experience that powerful rulers have
also been beneficent? Those who have been wise want to give the power back to
the people. But that can only work if the people are wise and compassionate; in
other words, spiritually mature. Democracy can only work if people are spiritually
mature: not just smart and wealthy. And spiritual maturity must be cultivated
over the course of a lifetime. The Bible teaches that wisdom comes only from
God, and that He imparts it to those who humbly seek it—never to the arrogant
or proud.
God, please help us to
grow in all the personality traits that make us safe and good for each other,
so that we can experience true peace and happiness.
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