Philippians 4:10-20
11Not that I am referring to being in need;
for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. 12I know what it is
to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty.
Being
content with what you have seems such a simple premise, yet so many people
including me get so overwhelmed with things that we forget to find
contentedness in anything. Moving this
last time from Tuscaloosa to Huntsville has made be hyper-aware of all the
things I have that are more than just plenty—those things that I have collected
over my 45 years now seem more of a burden than a blessing. I have a home in
Huntsville with all my important stuff—furniture, books, Gus, and my cats.
Each time I
return to our shell of a house in Tuscaloosa, I wonder if I really need
anything that I have left there. I know that I don’t need all those books, but
I love my books and cannot just turn them out into the Friends of Library sale. I also have other things that I realize now
are holding me back from living a contented life. I need to learn to let go of those things
that I don’t truly need. Too much stuff
creates an atmosphere of oppression. I
do not need stuff to be happy; however, it is sometimes hard to let go.
I am also
truly thankful that I have never really known what it is to have little. In my
car on my way to work, I see people every day who are walking in the cold with
bags of groceries or with a stroller carrying a child. I don’t always give thanks to God for my car,
but I should. In the grocery store, I can buy pretty much anything I want
without worrying about how much it costs.
When there is something I want or need, I can usually buy it without
having to give up medical care, car insurance, heat, food, medicine, or
clothing. That is not so for many people
in our community and world. Take some
time today to be thankful for what you have and remember those who know what it
is to have little. Give your time, talents, or money to a food bank, a homeless
shelter, a soup bowl, or other ministry that helps those who have little. Your
reward will be plenty.
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