Misinterpreting earthly success

The seven "letters" in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation are chock full of amazing material. We should read those letters periodically, because they're written to us. Some of the material in those letters is encouraging, and some of the material is alarming, but all of it points toward God's mercy, in that, at several points in those letters, Jesus offers opportunities to repent of wrongdoing.

In this post, I'd like to highlight a section written to the Laodiceans, who evidently enjoyed considerable economic prosperity. The problem, however, was that they had let that prosperity numb their spiritual zeal. Jesus warns (Revelation 3:17-18, KJV),

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed.

It's a warning that appears many places in the Bible. We must not conflate early successes with spiritual progress; sometimes those are linked, but often they are not. Instead, we must seek heavenly "gold tried in the fire," and we must clothe ourselves with "white raiment" of obedience.