"(11) Not that I am saying this to call attention to any need of mine; since, as far as I am concerned, I have learned to be content regardless of circumstances. (12) I know what it is to be in want, and I know what it is to have more than enough — in everything and in every way I have learned the secret of being full and being hungry, of having abundance and being in need. (13) I can do all things through him who gives me power." Philippians 4:11-13 (CJB)
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| Courtesy of WikiMedia.com |
The trigger for this topic was due to my commute this morning. As I drove into work, I went past a car lot which showcased several new BMW's in the front. In that brief moment, I saw a guy looking at one of the new one's on display, while at the same time he had just stepped out of a fairly new looking BMW of his own. Now, I don't know what this guy's intentions were. As far as I know he could have been looking to buy a car for his kid, looking for a friend, or maybe looking to upgrade. I do not know his motives.
My thoughts started to turn to how we as people tend to get into the habit of just buying stuff. We buy stuff and we hold on to stuff....wash rinse repeat. It almost seems that nothing can satisfy people for any length of time any more. If you cannot keep their attention, then it's on to the next newest and latest and greatest ______ (fill in the blank). I am a gadgets guy and as such, gadget geeks have an inclination to get the latest and greatest stuff. However, I am usually reluctant to drop the cash necessary to "stay current". I find myself asking myself, "Do I really need this?" Really, this is a question that we all can ask ourselves but typically we are driven to make purchases based off emotions and the spur of the moment.
When you look at your closet full of shoes, can you feel that you have enough? When you look at your closet full of cloths, (with stored away seasonal cloths) can you say that you have enough? Can you look at your small house size and say this is all that I need? Can you enjoy the moments when you want things that you do not have the means to purchase at the moment? We need to get to a point where Paul was in Philippians. We have to learn to know what it feels like to want and know what it feels like to have an abundance. In both cases, the important part is to learn to be content in both cases under the comfort and strength of Christ.
Be Blessed Folks.
Antoine E. Hall
