Tao Te Ching Chapter 3: Renewal - Taoism of Lao Tzu translated into Biblical Scripture

What are your desires for the need?

Image by Filipe Moreira via Flickr

Glorifying idols and achievers portrays an image of a superior person, putting them aside for special treatment. Fame, wealth, and power stimulates our mind to compete aggressively among one another to become like somebody else or better than everyone. Whenever we see anything as desirable, a wave ripples throughout society to replace our emptiness with materialistic things, sometimes at the expense of others. God created each person with his/her own fingerprint and special gift, but many self cautious people do not look inside themselves for answers. Instead, they want quick fixes to fame and power. “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”

Diamond, gold, platinum, and silver is only desirable if people have a sense of fame and power connected to these metals. Gold has been much more valuable than platinum, but this changed when stores like Tiffany’s and wealthy advertisers gave platinum a new sense of wealth and power. In a sense, it is not a point of “rare goods” but an image of wealth and power we want people to notice. However, this creates more thieves and violent crimes in our cities, stimulating materialistic desires over human value. There is no such thing as a “Get Rich Quick“, “$25,000 in 30 days”, or “Overnight success in 5 minutes”. If these were true, it would not last long. Instead materialistic desires lead us to a trap for the love of money which is a bottomless pit. 1 Timothy 6:6-10, ⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Trouble begins when fame and power (godliness) is a means of finical gain which corrupts the mind and heart, robbing us of the truth. We can buy many things, but never have a lasting satisfaction. We can be surrounded with precious jewelry but still feel a profound sense of emptiness. The solution to our fulfillment is not found on the HSN, internet shopping sites, or in the Macy’s catalog. In fact, the treasure that brings true joy is where your heart is. Matthew 6:19-21, ¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The treasure of heaven is not a “thing”, it is not something you can purchase, showcase, or parade in front of people. It may not look alluring or desirable because you can not see or touch it. People who do find it may assume it have no value and cast it aside too quickly. They may find it only to let it slip away without taking a second look. Those who know the treasures of heaven, no explanation is necessary; but to those who do not, no explanation will be enough.

God ask us to seek within our hearts for the treasures that will last forever in the Kingdom he prepared for us. Being content is great gain in the eyes of God. This is the true essence of fame and power so people can not manipulate or influence you with their scheme or plot. God comforts us with his love to empty our hearts of desires and weaken our ambitions for fame, power, and materials. If you can not do it, just be still and let God.