After reading this: "Psa_73:3 For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. " I have thought that I know what that means.
Yesterday I spoke to my elder brother and mentioned several things I bypassed or he bypassed.
I see his system of beliefs is so around things he thinks he missed and around those he is aware he really regrets not having...
I saw, to myself, that a faith-based society clumpsily set on wrong values would cause ME troubles (also lacks) to live a faith that gives me nothing in turn and, instead, keeps on withholding things I think I need, however I know not all things are needed to live.
I can live without a car, but the society I´m living in pushes me to believe a car is "essential" to be a desired person, to be "deeply" loved or admired (even sought as a singled person) (probably to be a datable one).
Those wrong values I let to leak inside my beliefs would benefit my faith and, on the contrary, would lead me to disbelieve what I could be saying...
My faith serves me for nothing when I said: "The things I want to feel, the pleasures I want to enjoy, my religion -mingled with my value system- tells me not to seek this or these". So, in that case, faith works againts those things I considered important, desirable and enjoyable to seek and, a faith like that, giving me nothing real I can hold, pulls me away and far from the place I want to be.
The things I want to enjoy, far away from those whom I once said "I love you", are felt contrary to my aims, my dreams and human needs.
Time and things have shown me they loved me not. We have had a limited life for nothing, embraced in misery and religious tiny things that cared for nothing and those that really mattered were to spare me from suffering when I wanted to enjoy the mundanity of earthly life, so abundantly that these would never please.
Jesus was aware of those who He met teasing people around with man-made rules (Matt 23:4 They make strict rules that are hard for people to obey. They try to force others to obey all their rules. But they themselves will not try to follow any of those rules. ).
Pharisees so loved to control other people´s needs and their visceral longs ( Matt 19:10 ) and those were unwilling to set limits their own secular hedonism. So, materialistic talking, poverty or wealth have an important role in all religious systems (even in the way each approaches to sex). The more one of these three is considered above the other, our views about certain faith or belief will grow or dim, because ALL human nature tends to be hedonist: The more joy or pleasure we have freedom to seek or get, the better that religion could be seen (or sought) to be believed and lived.