New International Version (NIV)
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Today I ventured into two drastically different worlds mere minutes apart.
The first world was Aldi.
The Aldi near my apartment is one of the fanciest I've seen. This Aldi was one of the dreariest.
Most people were dressed in tattered, dull clothing. Deep lines on their faces spoke of lifelong struggle and misfortune. As one elderly woman literally counted her pennies at the register, I was almost brought to tears.
How can some people have so little, and I so much?
The next world was Costco. The land of plenty, literally flowing with milk and honey.
Customers stuffed their carts with oversized this and jumbo that. Compared to the customers at Aldi, these people were living a dream.
Ugh, I hope to never be like that, I thought to myself.
Can you guess the one common thread among both groups of people? The one thing that reminded me that in both stores I was indeed in the same world intermingling with the same type of beings?
Hardly anyone at either store seemed content.
The people at Aldi oozed defeat. A life of want and need had stolen their joy and replaced it with a downtrodden misery.
The people at Costco were so caught up in the "more is better" philosophy they could barely see past their own noses.
Jesus calls us to contentment no matter what our situation.
Do I really live life that way? Do any of us?
Paul, who was beaten, despised and rejected, told Timothy if he had but food and clothing he was content.
Contrary to what you might think I am about to say, Paul was not telling Timothy to be more like the people at Aldi and less like the people at Costco.
He was telling him to not be like either.
Both groups had food and clothing, just in differing amounts. Neither group was content with what they had.
The challenge each and every one of us faces on a daily basis is to come to peace with what we have right now and to learn to find a godly contentment in Christ alone.
Today I challenge you to join me in asking God to help each of us find that godly contentment.With the help of the Holy Spirit, I believe we can radically change the world for good.
Today I ventured into two drastically different worlds mere minutes apart.
The first world was Aldi.
The Aldi near my apartment is one of the fanciest I've seen. This Aldi was one of the dreariest.
Most people were dressed in tattered, dull clothing. Deep lines on their faces spoke of lifelong struggle and misfortune. As one elderly woman literally counted her pennies at the register, I was almost brought to tears.
How can some people have so little, and I so much?
The next world was Costco. The land of plenty, literally flowing with milk and honey.
Customers stuffed their carts with oversized this and jumbo that. Compared to the customers at Aldi, these people were living a dream.
Ugh, I hope to never be like that, I thought to myself.
Can you guess the one common thread among both groups of people? The one thing that reminded me that in both stores I was indeed in the same world intermingling with the same type of beings?
Hardly anyone at either store seemed content.
The people at Aldi oozed defeat. A life of want and need had stolen their joy and replaced it with a downtrodden misery.
The people at Costco were so caught up in the "more is better" philosophy they could barely see past their own noses.
Jesus calls us to contentment no matter what our situation.
Do I really live life that way? Do any of us?
Paul, who was beaten, despised and rejected, told Timothy if he had but food and clothing he was content.
Contrary to what you might think I am about to say, Paul was not telling Timothy to be more like the people at Aldi and less like the people at Costco.
He was telling him to not be like either.
Both groups had food and clothing, just in differing amounts. Neither group was content with what they had.
The challenge each and every one of us faces on a daily basis is to come to peace with what we have right now and to learn to find a godly contentment in Christ alone.
Today I challenge you to join me in asking God to help each of us find that godly contentment.With the help of the Holy Spirit, I believe we can radically change the world for good.
No comments:
Post a Comment