Luke 12:15 (ESV)
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard
against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of
his possessions.”
Screech got his nickname from the noise he made whenever
he skidded his bike to a stop. He was so obsessed with money that he would
speed down the road, darting to examine every shiny thing that might be a
coin—and every scrap of paper that looked like a dollar bill.
Screech knew how to work hard too. Between a paper route,
baby-sitting, and caddying at a golf course, he had a lot of money. And with
the money he raked in, he could buy almost anything his twelve-year-old heart
desired.
Unfortunately, when Screech made it his biggest goal in
life to pile up money, he didn’t have any time left for family, friends, or
church. So even though his pockets bulged with cash, he had no one to enjoy it
with. Screech thought that buying things would bring him total happiness, but
it didn’t.
What’s on your wish list? What sports equipment or
clothes or toys would stuff you full? Is it possible that you could ever get
everything on your wish list and not want anything more? Or would you just
start a bigger list?
In the Bible, Paul sounds like a man who had it made. He
had what it takes to be happy. In one Bible book—his letter to the
Philippians—he mentions joy or rejoicing seventeen times!
But wait a minute! Looking again at that book shows that
Paul was in prison when he wrote all those words about joy and happiness. He
had no comfortable home, few possessions, and no freedom. But he was happy.
Later in his letter he wrote, “I have learned how to get along happily whether
I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything.
I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a
full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the
help of Christ who gives me the strength I need”.
Happiness doesn’t depend on stuffing ourselves with
stuff. As a matter of fact, real joy has nothing to do with how much we have.
We can be joyful-whether we’re wealthy or needy-because we have Jesus. We can’t
lose him. He can’t be stolen. He never breaks or goes out of style. And knowing
him can give us joy that no mere object can bring.
How happy are you with what you have?
Is Christ your most prized possession?
Dear Lord, teach us to be content with what we have today.
Help us to always remember how great You are. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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