trusted online casino malaysia
Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.
ReVision

No Guarantees

The god of possessions can never deliver enough.

The Religion of Secularism (5)

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God … 2 Timothy 3.1-4

The gods of secularism
In the religion of secularism, the satisfaction of self is the ultimate good, the only lasting truth, anyone should acknowledge. The self or will is god – ultimate, all-important, demanding the devotion of heart, mind, and strength.

The god of self intends to be happy. He is thus accompanied on his Olympian throne by the god of happiness, a deity with an unchanging remit, but an endless variety of shapes and forms to satisfy the demands of self.

The secular god of self, and his co-deity, the god of happiness, depend for their success on three “meaner” deities – the god of experience, the god of possessions, and the god of position. Of these three, experience is the concierge who conjures possession and status as the means of satisfying the demands of happiness and the desire of the self.

In any situation, and, indeed, over the course of an entire life, the god of happiness – in working to satisfy the demands of the god of self – must enlist these meaner deities for a delicate balance of “just right” and “just in time” circumstances if the goal of secular religion is to be realized. As we have seen, the god of experience can sometimes prove himself to be a meaner deity by more than just his place in the pantheon. Circumstances not only let us down from time to time, they’ve even been known – as doubtless many of your secular friends will protest – to conspire against our happiness.

All of life, all the time
The worship of self embraces all of life, and is the means whereby people devoted to living “under the sun” try to make sense and find contentment amid the seas of vanity, uncertainty, and tentative hopes.

In situations where the self is seeking to maximize happiness – which is every situation in life, since no one in our secular age chooses sadness or depression as co-deity with his god of self – certain objects and possessions must be available to the self as part of the requisite conditions for happiness. The secular self knows no concept of happiness apart from material conditions and things. Since the material cosmos is all there is or was or ever will be, the only way to achieve happiness is to possess as much of the cosmos, in its many and diverse forms, as the self deems essential to happiness. Advertisers – those priests of the secular religion – understand this, and they work incessantly to connect the self with such possessions as hold the promise of greatest happiness.

The god of happiness, then, must decide. What should he choose in order to maximize the satisfaction of self? How should he direct the concierge of experience to create the best possible circumstances for the self? Which brand of cereal? What style of underwear? Which deodorant? How big a home? How many pairs of shoes? What kind of car? Which brand of tooth-whitener? How much in the retirement account?

This can all be very confusing, as you can imagine, what with shape-shifting happiness changing his priorities willy-nilly, as it can sometimes seem, in order to keep up with the self’s changeable sense of fashion.

Frequently the god of possessions is able to deliver the goods, on-time and in just the right quantity. At other times, not so much. Indeed, in some situations the desired possessions turn out to be more a source of trouble and irritation than happiness and fulfillment, as anyone knows who has ever dropped an important cell phone call, burned out a hard drive, got a bone in his fish, or had to change a flat tire in the middle of nowhere.

No guarantees
The god of possessions, moreover, does not provide his wares with any guarantees that they will continue to produce the desired effects over time.

How many of our secular friends have closets full of clothes they no longer wear? Lockers filled with chic sporting goods equipment that hasn’t been used in years? The god of possessions can thus be a truly “mean” deity, since, rather than enhancing the self’s quest for happiness, he can just as often introduce contrary conditions for which he is then promptly cursed, discarded, and replaced.

That’s the problem with the meaner gods of the secular religion. They have a hard time, amid the melee of competing selves and their changeable interests, keeping up with the demands of a changeable self and the shape-shifting requirements of whatever may be the latest incarnation of happiness.

So if it seems that many of those who practice the religion of secularism are as often irritable, depressed, frustrated, anxious, and angry as they are happy, content, and generous, it’s only the consequence of living a life with no guarantees. We’ll need to understand this, and have patience with our secular friends, at the same time exercising vigilance to avoid the trap in which they have become ensnared, that of thinking that possessions are the way to lasting happiness.

For reflection
1.  How should we understand the allure of things? Why do people tend to invest so much importance in possessions?

2.  In what sense are advertisers the “priests” of secular religion? What do priests do? What do advertisers do that is like the work of priests?

3.  Why is the life of getting-and-spending a life in which there are “no guarantees”? How does this compare with living “under the heavens”?

Next steps – Conversations: Ask some of your secular friends about how important things are to being happy. How do they decide which things will make them happy? Do the things they choose provide the happiness they seek?

T. M. Moore

For a more complete study of the book of Ecclesiastes, download our Scriptorium series on Ecclesiastes by clicking here. Ecclesiastes is an excellent book to share with an unbelieving friend, as it confronts all the idols and vain hopes of unbelief, exposing their folly and holding out the hope of life in God alone. We’ve prepared a verse translation of Ecclesiastes which is suitable for sharing with believers and unbelievers alike. Order your copy of Comparatio, by clicking here.

We look to the Lord to provide for our needs, and He does so through those who are served by this ministry. Please prayerfully consider becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe with your financial gifts. You can send your tax-free contribution to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452, or use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

Subscribe to Ailbe Newsletters

Sign up to receive our email newsletters and read columns about revival, renewal, and awakening built upon prayer, sharing, and mutual edification.