Redefining Femininity: wrapping up wordliness series

As regular readers might have guessed by reading the title of this post, Rebeka Fry is wrapping up her series on worldliness (we have often termed it materialism) on her blog 'Redefining Femininity'. Naturally, after posting her series here with her blessing, it is only fitting that we post the final post in the series. So, without further ado, here is the post titled "Consider Your True Riches".

Consider Your True Riches

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though He was rich,
yet for your sakes He became poor,
that you through His poverty
might become rich."
~ 2 Corinthians 8:9 ~

If you measure wealth by material assets, you won’t come out too high. Like everyone, you conveniently put yourself in the middle – you have more than some, but not as much as the neighbors with the Hummer and Jacuzzi. But measuring your riches through what Jesus did at Calvary – God’s wrath appeased, our sin atoned, our soul redeemed – you have immediately become the richest of the rich. When the gospel gets big, covetousness becomes little.

“When someone sets his affections up
on the cross and the love of Christ,
he crucifies the world as a dead and undesirable thing.
The baits of sin lose their attraction and disappear.
Fill your affections with the cross of Christ and
you will find no room for sin."
~ John Owen ~

Gratefulness is what the Christian has been called to.


“Rejoice always . . .
in everything give thanks;
for this is will of God in Christ Jesus for You."
~ 2 Thessalonians 5:16, 18 ~

Living a life of gratitude is humbly recognizing our dependence on God and others, and it battles our pride in our possessions. While gratitude may be and should be expressed through emotions, it is not a feeling and it’s not based on the present circumstance around you. Grateful speech replaces complaining about our supposed “lack.” Gratefulness is recognizing that God is always good and always right in His dealings with us. While the covetous heart cries, “I want, I need, I will have”, in times of plenty or in need, the grateful heart simply says, “Bless the Lord, my soul.” A beloved hymn writer penned it very well.


“O bless the Lord, my soul!
Let all within me join,
and aid my tongue to bless His Name
whose favors are divine.
O bless the Lord, my soul,
not let His mercies lie
forgotten in unthankfulness,
and without praises die.”
~ Issac Watts ~

When covetousness tempts to chain the heart to the pithy things of the world, grace enables us to grasp the truth the Jesus Christ is not only necessary – He is enough. And delighting in such a truth can only bring an overwhelming sense of joy and satisfaction. Christ came to bring the riches of the inheritance of God to all who receive Him by faith. Unlike any other material entitlement, the riches of God are glorious (Ephesians 1:8), immeasurable (Ephesians 2:7), unsearchable (Ephesians 3:8), imperishable (1 Peter 1:4) – and ours forever!

Amen and many thanks to Rebeka for her excellent series! If you would like to read any of Rebeka's posts that you missed or if you would just like to read them again you will find links to below.

The Heart of Materialism

The Unseen Chains of Materialism

It Makes Me Happy

It Makes Me Important

It Makes Me Secure

God bless!