Read Revelation 18:9-20.
Many will weep when Babylon falls. The city (or spiritual force) that so many came to depend on will bring tears to her followers. According to the passage, her destruction will come quickly, those who depended on her will be unable to sell any of their goods, their livelihoods destroyed. All that the world had to offer through her merchants will be of little or no value under these terrible conditions.
Two thoughts come to mind in this passage. First, is it not true that when there is a great disaster such as that seen in the destruction of Babylon, the things we once valued are really found to be of no value at all? Gold, silver, precious stones, silk and scarlet cloth, etc. – what are these in light of disaster? Merchants will be unable to sell their goods because they will be of no real value in light of the circumstances. Difficulty has a way of revealing the true value of things.
The second thought is weeping at the loss of Babylon – the source of these worldly goods. I wonder how I would react if my company went under (I’m not thinking about church, but a former company!). How would I react if the source of my future riches fell apart? I don’t want to be insensitive to those who are looking for work, so forgive me if this comes across that way. But would I weep if I could not maintain my current standard of living? Would I mourn the loss of the things of this world?
When I consider both of these ideas, what stands out is that when all material wealth is lost, when the material future looks bleak, one thing will or at least should remain intact, and that is our relationships. Will I mourn the loss of things? It’s hard to say, but when hard times hit, it will not be the material things that keep us going (how could they?). It will be relationships. That says to me that I need to put more stock in people rather than things. If I feel sadness over the loss of things, I suspect it will be because I did not prize my relationships.
Think about this today: How much time do I spend building my kingdom versus building my relationships?
-Mike