Who is your “ruler”? And just to clarify, I mean that both ways. Who is your ruler? And who is your Ruler?
I hope that the answer to both of these questions is the same.
1. ruler – measuring apparatus having a sequence of marks that is used as a reference in marking progress or making measurements
Keeping up with the Joneses has become a race of superficial measuring up and it’s only real reward is poverty and unhappiness. I don’t mean poverty like no money in our pockets. I don’t mean unhappiness like we lack enjoyment or amusement with our things. What I mean is while we are running the rat race to be equal to our peers, we are pursuing a measure of life that is well below the mark that God intended for us. With each quest to be liked, admired or even the envy of our neighbors and friends, we are measuring the success of our lives with a ruler that increases low self-worth, decreases satisfaction and allows moths and rust to destroy what we are questing.
The truth is we are all so caught up in “measuring up” [read: down] to the standards of the world around us. What is around us is a shadow of the reality that is above us. Everything we touch is a distortion. Around us is a world of decadence in decay. The things of this world only appear to be something special but upon further examination we come to realize that it was only a beautiful façade.
Why did we let “the Joneses” become our ruler?
2. Ruler – a person who rules, governs, or commands; Sovereign.
God is sovereign. The measure of life that this “Ruler” brings is remarkable. With His limitless power and wealth He wishes to bless us with every good thing – things that bless and not curse, things that fill and leave us satisfied. When our quest is more of Him we will find Him to be unending. He is limitless and this means our quest for more will never reach an end because He has no end. When we look up we realize that keeping up with the Joneses or comparing ourselves to the wealthiest and even the most “Spiritual” people around us is far too low a measure.
I know that when we look up and gaze upon the sovereign God we will find that nothing compares. That truth reminds me of the words in scripture that state “all our righteousness are as filthy rags” (KJV). That realization frees us from the incessant need to measure ourselves by ourselves and creates space for worship of God and not of ourselves. When we look up we become smaller and God becomes greater. He is restored as the sovereign power. This begs the question:
Why did we let “the Joneses” become our Ruler?
