Wednesday night the message at the 'Connected' service (which is intentionally designed for Christians who have been on their walk of faith for a while) was, well, pretty straightforward. It was also appropriate, especially for this time of year. The main theme was contentment, the sentiment of being satisfied with what we have.
For each of us, contentment is a good personal virtue to desire and to maintain in our lives. Sadly, in many circles and levels of society, contentment is a foreign concept. Consider:
- A year or so ago, the Archdiocese of St. Louis, which has a net worth of at least seven figures, excommunicated a parish priest and board of directors because the leaders of that parish would not turn to the archbishop control of its 9 million dollars in assets.
- Just a few weeks ago, news stories were reported from all over the country of the shopping frenzy created by people wanting to buy the Playstation 3 game system. There were stampedes rushing the stores, physical altercations, and even robberies and murders, just for the desire to have the most updated gaming technology. Some who managed to purchase the coveted merchandise didn't even keep it, but rather resold it for at least two or three times its retail value.
- I myself am even guilty of being discontent with what God has given me. On occasion I have complained about what we do or do not have in our house to eat, not to mention taking for granted more things than I can possibly mention.
God can provide us with everything we need to live, and most of us can even live each day in relative comfort. But especially for many of those who have their basic needs - and more - met every day, it is human nature to want more and/or better things. In a sense, then, it really does come down to weighing needs versus wants, and not having lots of material possessions becomes a blessing in disguise.
No person or church can tell someone what they need or don't need, or what they should or shouldn't have. Rather, that is between the individual and God, and each of us needs to decide for ourselves how much is enough and what we will do with what we have.
May God pour out His blessings on each of us and grant us the wisdom to use those blessings to His honor and for His glory.
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