How to Avoid Re-visiting the Attitudes of Babel
Illustration:Illustration:Once we assuage our conscience by calling something a "necessary evil," it begins to look more and more necessary and less and less evil.
Sidney J. Harris.
Read Genesis 11:1- 9
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
Too many Americans are thinking that we must live with certain necessary evils in order to survive and meet our needs. This same attitude is what led to the disasterous attitude of Babel. The following is a list of guidelines in helping us replace the attitudes of Babel with the Spirit fill mind that is empowered by Christ’s mind.
1. Babel is revisited when people worry so much about their own needs that they fail to realize all good gifts are given to us by God. Jesus said, “Do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat? Or What shall we drink? Or what shall we wear. For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But, Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well. (Matt 6:31-33)
Only the Lord is able to give blessings without adding any sorrows. Many man made kingdom have brought with them much pain and sorrow.
Paul wrote, “The LOVE of money is the root of all sorts of evil. People who who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (I Tim. 6:9,10)
Americans have to constantly learn how to follow the pattern of Paul who said, “I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.
I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me and can do everything He asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength, power and guidance required.” (Phil. 4:12,13)
Illustration:A young man came out of the Ozark Mountains in his early manhood with the firm purpose of making a fortune in gold. Gold became his god, and putting it first, he won it. He came to be worth millions. Then the crash came, and he was reduced to utter poverty. His reason tottered and fell along with his fortune.
Source Unknown.
2. Babel is revisited when people focus more on things below rather than on things above. Paul wrote, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things… Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.” (Col. 3:2,5,6)
Too few believers take seriously the admonitions and warnings about idolatry. There are terrible consequences for those who fail to put to death their earthly desires. The people at the tower of Babel were put in to a state of confusion and were scattered so they were not able to relate properly with each other. We are seeing these consequences all over our society today.
Illustration:Idolatry is worshiping anything that ought to be used, or using anything that ought to be worshiped.
Augustine.
3. Babel is revisited when people try to find a gateway through any other means except Jesus Christ. All the other religions, philosophies and human attempts to find spiritual peace will lead to destruction, confusion and eternal separation from God. Yet, so many people feel that they need to do something to work their way toward God.
Religion is man trying to reach God. Christianity is God reaching down to people through the person of Jesus Christ. Solomon wrote, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is the way of death."
4. Babel is revisited when we focus on selfish interests instead of Christ’s kingdom priority purposes. The average Christian spends more money on dog food than they do no missions. 98.7% of the money given to churches in America was spent in the USA and only 1.3% went to missions. God so loved the whole world and He commanded us to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. Let us be busy in helping to build His kingdom instead of our own.
5. Babel is revisited when we are given to any type of idol worship instead of worship of the Lord and His marvelous attributes.
6. Babel is revisited when we associate with people who are ambitious to build a tower to their own importance, accomplishments or appetites. James writes,”Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:4-8)
7. Babel is revisited when we fight over our own desires that result in conflicts, quarrels and divisions. People are guilty of selfishly quarreling for their own desires fail to practice the love of God by being servants to others. We can focus on serving ourself or serving others. One is a pathway to self-destruction the other is a way of life, joy and peace.
8.Babel is revisited when we stubbornly hold to our opinions without being willing to accepted correction from God. We always need to remain humble, teachable and adaptable to God and His will for our life.
9. Babel is revisited when people are obsessed
with control. People who love the Lord are willing to submit to His will recognizing that we cannot control all situations, but must trust God’s all sufficient grace in times of weakness, distress and uncertainty.
10. Babel is revisited when people are led more by fear than by faith. God caused confusion to people who thought they could provide a man made monument of their own religion that would provide them what they desired. They made a religion according to their own cultural, social and emotional needs. Let us be led by God’s objective truth rather than by our subjective feelings.
11. Babel is revisited when people are influenced by the popular opinions of the day. It is so common for people to be swayed by public opinions that are thrown at us on a daily basis in the media. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So that you can prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable and perfect.
12. Babel is revisited when we think that a one time “spiritual” monument or activity, will take care of our spiritual needs for a lifetime. Too many people think that they can rest on a spiritual experience they once had to carry them through their entire life. We must commune with the Lord continually through His word, His Spirit and His people who are obedient to him.
Paul wrote, “Flee youthful lusts and pursue, righteousness, godliness, faith, love and peace with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart.” (2 Tim. 2:22-24) David wrote, “You will make known to me the paths of life.
In your presence is fullness of joy and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psa. 16:9-11) Paul wrote, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Gal. 5:16-18)
A Spirit filled person constantly needs the wind of the Spirit to empower, guide and refresh his sails.
13. Babel is revisited when there is a lack of a fear of God and more of a fear of men. Oh fear the Lord you His saints. For to those who fear him there is no want. The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but they who seek the Lord will not lack one good thing.”
14. Babel is revisited when people are investing in human kingdoms rather than Christ’s eternal kingdom. So much of Americans money goes for building up their home, their personal investment portfolio, or their cars. Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth, but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven… for where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” (Matt 6:19-21)
Conclusion: Americans have lost seven trillion dollars from March of 2000 to July of 2002 in the stock market. 60% of us have some kind of 401K investment or an IRA or some holdings in our retirement plans. Much of that money that was lost could have been deposited in our heavenly bank account where it will earn interest for eternity. Let us put more of our resources in things that will not erode away with time, disasters or the inevitable tragedies of life.
