everlasting and abundant
All throughout the Bible you can find evidence of the theology of more. God commanded creation to be fruitful and multiply. He gave the same command to Noah after the flood. He told Abram/Abraham he would make him into a great nation of his own. He told Joseph he would give him Canaan as an everlasting possession (and belief in this promise has been used as justification for literal millennia of everlasting, unthinkable violence and genocide ever since).
Jesus will give you eternal life. In his Father’s home there are many mansions. The streets will be paved with gold, and in him we will have eternal life and have it abundantly. There are all sorts of calls to be content with what one has, but the ultimate goal runs unmistakably counter to any notion of finding comfort in humble means.
The prize is eternity. The goal is kingdom rule. A kingdom of infinite abundance and eternal riches awaits the faithful at the finish line of existence. Contentment with just a little is but a temporary travail.
Is it any wonder that a culture that claims to have roots in Christianity has culminated in a capitalistic, growth-obsessed, greed-powered society with an addiction to malignance? When the consensus goal of faith is to reap an eternal, infinite, unimaginably abundant kingdom of glory, riches, and power under the authority of the most-high, the almighty, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, where does it end? What role can contentment play in that theology? Simplicity and humility, in this lifestyle, is viewed as a temporary burden, not a goal or virtue in and of itself.
No one who believes in such things can ever be happy in this world, which explains why Christians often view happiness in this world as a distraction, a mirage, or a sin.
Deconstructing from this notion can be really difficult because it’s so sneaky and insidious. Christians often masquerade as deeply simple, humble, contented people. But when, on an eternal level, they’re simply biding their time in humility while the everlasting riches of God’s glory brew in the ethereal background, expectations of abundance and opulence are secretly hardwired into that mindset.
I believe we need to deconstruct that notion of eternal supremacy to free ourselves of the belief that we are entitled to possess everlasting riches and to rule supreme over all. More importantly, we can find contentment in the simple gifts, the momentary joys and pleasures without secretly longing for abundance that never ends.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting more, pursuing better, or investing in growth, but I do think we miss out on a lot of joy and happiness (and often cause undue suffering to those we view as standing in our way or opposing us) when we can’t see eternity in the moment and abundance in the simple. Do we really need eternal riches, or can we enjoy the infinite wealth inherent in every wonderful detail of life?