Let’s fantasize for a minute. What would you do if you had a million dollars? What if you had more influence or a bigger base of fans? What if you were king for the day; commanding others to your every wish?
Would you be more satisfied? Happier?
Most us would be. For awhile.
We’d get rid of that mountain of debt or invest in a cause. We’d turn the world’s attention to more important matters. We’d right the wrongs we’ve seen in our lives, and others.
Yes, given plenteous resources, we think we’d wield them pretty well; better, in fact, than those who already possess them. It’s that thought that provokes envy when we see others with more wealth, popularity, or influence than we possess. What a waste—we might think—I would certainly do it differently.
So we sit by, preoccupied by other’s abundance and our lack, hoping for our turn at the wheel. Meanwhile, the dream idles, vanquishing while we wait to amass enough resources to do something about it. That’s when we’ve succumbed to resource sickness—the mistaken notion that we must wait for ____________ before we can do something about our dream. We’re waiting for the fantasy.
What if the real question is not about what you would do if you had more, but what you’d do with what you’ve already been given?
A line from a Twila Paris song asks:
“Could it be that He is only waiting there to see
If I will learn to love the dreams,
That He has dreamed for me?” — I Will Listen
Perhaps learning to love the dreams He’s dreamed for us is in realizing we already have all the resources we need today to take the next step He requires of us. After all, Jesus reminded us that “whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10).
So go ahead, He’s already made you king for the day—over the resources He’s entrusting to you. What will you do with them?
How has resource sickness affected your pursuit?