Jeremiah Bligen Rich Young Ruler
[Verse 1]
It's a dark world
When you're hailing from dirt roads where moss hang
Where the panthers pound and riverdogs swing
Broken mobile homes immobilizes a king
Tiny lies made idols of candy-coated rides and bling
Wanna escape, can't afford
So we explore expeditiously
All po' like dog food
But we were worse exponentially
Sis, what we gon' eat today? Huh?
Momma working that double
All so that we could keep the place
She would keep the faith
Bend a knee to pray
I was steeped in hate
Coming up in that shack, it made me wanna act out
Kazaam, and as a man, I still wrestle with traps now
Diesel, behind the heartbreak of a kid
Wanted to ball in Carolina, but couldn't afford to
Stackhouse, oh
Poverty heartily waged a war on my heart to see
Roof leaking, water dropping, buckets
Stephen from Corner3
Trying to make me a basket, case
So I couldn't stand and race
Like a cramp's in place
I could hear that crafting snake say
[Hook 1]
Rich Young Ruler, there you go
I've been stalking to and fro
And oh, how pleased I'd be to know
You're in love with silver and gold
You see these kingdoms of this world?
It's all mine, it could be yours
Fulfill desire, forget that Bible
Surely that's not what he said
Go get that bread
[Verse 2]
The Devil's a liar
Told us money is all, long as we ball, plyers
Gripping our souls, the hogwash is hard wired
Our minds imprisoned to keep us all on the wall, dying
When Christ came, crowned top, looking like barbed wire
Wired that payment so our debt could be filled
We fill in applications for more, that's consumerism built
I fit the bill and I hate it, covered since birth I was bread
Warring against the charades, playing games with my head
When you don't have, you become obsessed with the thing that you don't
Dying to get, hatred towards
Neither position is whole
In God is balance, a beam of light'll flip
Right perspective is gold
You can put the bowl in the sink or make a sink with the bowl, ayo
Vanities, vanities, waging war on my sanity
Fighting against the fallacy
Aching all my anatomy, God
Trying to diet, it seems sanitation's the calorie
Clamoring for the new, enslaved to it
Save us from Rameses, Lord
[Hook 2]
Rich Young Ruler, there you go
I've been going to and fro
Oh, how grieved I'd be to know
You're in love with silver and gold
You see these kingdoms of this world?
It all passes, mine endures
You clutch that Bible that is your rifle
And you be sure to aim for the head
Until it's dead
[Verse 3]
I'm not the richest here but still got more than many folk in the world
Not trying to be controlled by compulsion but the Word of the Lord
What is the purpose of a purchase
Is the pride of life at work?
Did I buy the new to stunt on you
Am I equating wealth with worth?
Am I entitled like a lien holder, am I a styrofoam cup?
Does my want conflict with wisdom?
Needs provided be enough?
All I have would I give up?
Lay it down in love for good?
It's a worthy interrogation to see if my ilk is of the church
It took the master on a hill
Knowing exactly who he was
Appealed to his nature
How he made and reigned over all
Offered him up a fraud
All of the kingdoms that's in this world would be his now
If he would bow and worship Lucifer as God
And he does to us today exactly what he did to Jesus
Perverted pleasures, passions, purpose, perfectly packaged demons
Keep us focused on what we lack
Blind to the high places
Mock the model of the master
Don't you C-D duplication?
But God's grace is astute
It shoots through the evilest voodoo
So we're free to live and give not be enslaved in our noodle
Work hard and gain wealth
Without worry or shame
'Cause our treasure's rightly defined
And it lies in his name
His stuff isn't the problem
Or purpose of the equation
So we won't devalue life
For dead folk on green paper
No, we do not love that money
But we do not hate it, either
We hate the love of it
Because that's the root of all evil
Don't let hard times rob the good of the land of the living
Being led by God's counsel, not bound by our bad experiences
Strive for biblical, financial literacy
Reject the lunacy
Separating the two is not in tune to me
Take care of my family, working hard
The Bible tutored me
Where unfaithful extremes and false doctrine would try to neuter me
401k, investments, dividends, interest, life insurance
Doing good business
Putting some away for college tuition
That's good fitness
Not saying everybody should get it
But setting goals for those who can
To use it to be a witness
Lord help me with this
Get through to me
Grant me clear thought
Burn the weeds of idolatry
Taking root in my heart, amen