"Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have." Philippians 4.11
The apostle Paul reminds us that we are to be content with whatever we have; but this advice flies in the face of our North American culture and the constant barrage of advertisements that suggest we aren't truly experiencing the good life unless we have more and more. In our search for contentment we find ourselves engaging in 'retail therapy' and boosting our self esteem by what we possess and how we believe we are perceived by others. This is a dangerous path that feeds an unsatiable beast. So dangerous that even the Ten Commandments speak to the issue of coveting, always wanting what others have (Exodus 20.17)What would happen if you decided to stop playing this cultural game and were content with the car your drive, the house you live in, the clothes you possess, the body you've been given?
How would your life change if you embraced this thought: what gives a person worth is not what they make or what they have, but what they are willing to give away?
A prayer: "Lord Jesus, you lead us by example against a life of excess. Make us comfortable with less in a society that says 'more.' Let us live our lives with the goal of praising you, not of being praised for what we have. Amen"
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