Do I really want that?
It’s better to enjoy what we have than to always want something else, because that makes no more sense than chasing the wind. (Ecclesiastes 6:9)
I enjoy a really good meal, quality time with a close friend, and hugs from my grandsons. I also enjoy rainy days, a good book, and a happy movie. You could probably make a list of things you enjoy, like a sporty car able to zip on down the road with wind blowing wistfully through your hair, or perhaps a long walk on the beach at sunset. Some of what we enjoy is because of where we are or what we possess - the car or beach make the occasion. For others, it is about who we are with that gives us the greatest enjoyment factor. The company I keep makes all the difference in how much I enjoy the moment! I am "single again" - meaning I was married but have been without a spouse since the divorce. These years have done more to "cement" my relationship with Jesus and brought me much enjoyment in the process! I am not advocating divorce, but if you find yourself in the situation of being "alone again" in this world, you can choose to bemoan the fact or you can allow God to turn your moaning into dancing!
Always wanting something else is a dangerous habit we sometimes fall into in this life. I know I run into this in my own life as it applies to food! I have fruit, veggies, and the like in the refrigerator, but when I get the munchies in the evening hours, I want "something else"! You know what I am talking about, don't you? We have hamburger in the freezer, but want steak. We drive a Ford, but want a Ferrari. We live in a comfortable house, but we want a mansion of sorts. What we don't recognize is what Solomon was trying to reveal to us in the Book of Ecclesiastes: Life is filled with choices - choose wisely and you will enjoy life much more than if you make the choices of a fool!
I Timothy 6:6 reminds us "Godliness with contentment is great gain". Nothing is farther from the truth than the idea that God wants us poor or "impoverished" in any manner. In fact, he wants us to know all he has is at our disposal - for we are his kids. What Paul was telling Timothy was that when you enter into this relationship with Jesus (what some call religion, but I call relationship), you find yourself learning true contentment. The things which once held such an appeal to you begin to take on lesser importance - the shiny sports car is fun to drive, but it isn't all we live for anymore.
Learning to enjoy what we have - not what we could have, should have had, might someday have - but enjoying what we have. Why is it we come into adulthood so conflicted with this lack of contentment? Maybe it is because we have this little thing called "eyes" - what the eyes see long enough, the heart somehow comes to want! In time, we learn that some things (like God's Word) can be taken in ad infinitum, while things like some of the reality shows on TV we are better off not to take in at all! Learning to control what comes in the "eye gate" goes a long way in determining how content we will be in this lifetime! Just sayin!
I enjoy a really good meal, quality time with a close friend, and hugs from my grandsons. I also enjoy rainy days, a good book, and a happy movie. You could probably make a list of things you enjoy, like a sporty car able to zip on down the road with wind blowing wistfully through your hair, or perhaps a long walk on the beach at sunset. Some of what we enjoy is because of where we are or what we possess - the car or beach make the occasion. For others, it is about who we are with that gives us the greatest enjoyment factor. The company I keep makes all the difference in how much I enjoy the moment! I am "single again" - meaning I was married but have been without a spouse since the divorce. These years have done more to "cement" my relationship with Jesus and brought me much enjoyment in the process! I am not advocating divorce, but if you find yourself in the situation of being "alone again" in this world, you can choose to bemoan the fact or you can allow God to turn your moaning into dancing!
Always wanting something else is a dangerous habit we sometimes fall into in this life. I know I run into this in my own life as it applies to food! I have fruit, veggies, and the like in the refrigerator, but when I get the munchies in the evening hours, I want "something else"! You know what I am talking about, don't you? We have hamburger in the freezer, but want steak. We drive a Ford, but want a Ferrari. We live in a comfortable house, but we want a mansion of sorts. What we don't recognize is what Solomon was trying to reveal to us in the Book of Ecclesiastes: Life is filled with choices - choose wisely and you will enjoy life much more than if you make the choices of a fool!
I Timothy 6:6 reminds us "Godliness with contentment is great gain". Nothing is farther from the truth than the idea that God wants us poor or "impoverished" in any manner. In fact, he wants us to know all he has is at our disposal - for we are his kids. What Paul was telling Timothy was that when you enter into this relationship with Jesus (what some call religion, but I call relationship), you find yourself learning true contentment. The things which once held such an appeal to you begin to take on lesser importance - the shiny sports car is fun to drive, but it isn't all we live for anymore.
Learning to enjoy what we have - not what we could have, should have had, might someday have - but enjoying what we have. Why is it we come into adulthood so conflicted with this lack of contentment? Maybe it is because we have this little thing called "eyes" - what the eyes see long enough, the heart somehow comes to want! In time, we learn that some things (like God's Word) can be taken in ad infinitum, while things like some of the reality shows on TV we are better off not to take in at all! Learning to control what comes in the "eye gate" goes a long way in determining how content we will be in this lifetime! Just sayin!
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