James 5:1-3
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.
It is common for humans to find value in things that we believe are rare and enduring. So, when we find something that has these characteristics we tend to want to possess them as if through this possession we somehow become increasingly rare and enduring ourselves.
This pervasive delusion often tempts us to exchange what is of true value for the temporary things of this world. What James is reminding the readers of, is that these choices have consequences.
Everything in the material world is vanishing, but the things of the Spirit are of eternal value. When we lose sight of this, our priorities fall out of alignment with the Way Christ is in the world. And, it is this very habit that keeps us from living fully into the people we are called to be.
How do you set your spiritual priorities? Do you store up treasures on earth where moth and dust corrupt or would you surrender it all for the “Pearl of Great Price” which is the Way of Christ?
–Pedro Silva