One of the characteristics God created in man is commonly referred to as the “hunter gatherer” instinct.  Although I have issues with the instinct thing, we are nonetheless by all accounts hunter gatherers.  One of the primary human forces during the early pioneer days of our nation was the drive to hunt and gather as much of the bounty this land possessed for the benefit of free enterprise.  It did not matter that there were indigenous people who depended on wild game for sustenance and materials in which homes and clothes were made.  For the new American pioneer, it was get what you can for all you can get.  As for the native inhabitants, well, they were savages anyway with no knowledge of how the real world operated.  They could be, and eventually were subdued into the ways of the “white man’s progress.”  Greed and selfish gain was the order of the day, and it didn’t matter that an entire way of life had to adjust or become extinct.      

We live in a world where it is not uncommon to notice humanity at its worst while seeking after its own agendas.  Much of the motivations that move humanity toward self seeking agendas derive out of the diversity of society which has many characteristic traits indwelled within its nature.  Humanity is a kind of smorgasbord of characters which include some seeking to serve others while others seek to serve God’s kingdom.  Those who seek to serve others with God are considered to be philanthropic.  Philanthropy is defined as the effort to help in the welfare of fellow man.  Guess what?  That means that humanity can seek after its own with the welfare of fellow man in mind without really considering the reality that without God as a vital part of its endeavors it is all for nothing.       

That selfish aspect of our nature can very often cross over into other parts of life.  We see examples of it all the time.  People who seek to gather as much as they can in this life without regard to the needs of others.  Then there are those who work at gathering as much as possible in life with regards for the welfare of others.  Not all people are that way, of course.  Many people today take little in consideration about themselves, and strive to accomplish as much as humanly possible for God’s kingdom.  That is as it should be.  Doing what must be done for the cause of the kingdom gives us purpose.  If we are Christian, we already have the hope.  Hope, however, is best served with purpose in mind and heart.