But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. – I Timothy 6: 6-8 NLT
I recently had to get a new car, which I didn’t intend to do at this time, but life happens. In readiness to get a new car, we started reading and checking reviews of cars we were interested in.
One thing I noticed was how I was made aware of things I would never have noticed in a car. And I’m not talking about major safety issues but things like the hardness of the plastic on the inside of the car. Also, the size of the glove compartment or the arrangement of the knobs and so on. Some of the things focused on have nothing to do with the performance of the car. If care is not taken, one gets distracted by the little things thereby forgetting the main reason why the product is needed. Reason like having a reliable car that gets me from A to B safely.
Everywhere we turn these days something is being advertised, from the television, radio, internet, billboards and so on. These advertisements are not intended to be for information only. They are designed to make us dissatisfied with what we have and entice us to upgrade and want more.
In addition, these organisations offer credit facilities for people to buy these products even if they can’t afford them. Trapping their customers into payment schemes which means they are paying double, or more than the product is actually worth in the long run. Also, on top of that, if a payment is missed, they are chased down like criminals, or the product is retrieved as it’s not fully theirs while payments are still being made.
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes these payment schemes can be a lifesaver in times of emergency. However, they are not meant to be a way of life. Owing money on everything you own is not a wise way to live!
This system is the source of anxiety, depression and even suicide for many people especially when they can’t cope with the payments anymore. Most of the time it’s no fault of theirs, life just happens – ill health, loss of jobs and other issues, making everything spiral out of control.
In a world where credit is readily available for anything you desire, how are Christians meant to live? Are we meant to get distracted by the things of this world? Always chasing the new, shiny and most up-to-date? And do these things really add value to our lives as advertised?
We will discuss more about this next week but in the meantime let’s ponder on the words of Paul:
“…[F]or I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” Philippians 4:11-12 (ESV)
Stay blessed,
LaraLex
Hills and Valleys 