I love beautiful things. I sometimes get carried away thinking about all the beautiful things I want to have. I don't live an extravagant lifestyle compared to the rich and famous, but I have plenty.... plenty to be thankful for. And it might take awhile, but my hardworking husband provides me with many of the beautiful things I ogle over.
Yet, I still get carried away with wanting more....
(new living room furniture)
(canon 5D Mark II)
(modern farmhouse kitchen)
(exotic vacation)
(Anthropologie boots -- I could totally wear these with everything.... or almost everything)
(Etsy earings)
(Kitchen towels without stains on them)
(A girl can dream)
I find so many things that I want that my list grows longer and longer and I grow discontent easily.
Apparently I'm not the only person who has ever struggled with this:
1 Timothy 6:9-10 “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
It was as though Timothy was talking directly to those with a handy computer, fast internet, who are supposed to be researching clothe diaper choices and somehow end up on the Pottery Barn website looking at leather couches.
The love of money makes the blessings in life unsatisfying. Have you ever longed for something, finally got it and then felt discontent right away? No wonder the words "trap," "foolish," "plunge," "ruin," destruction," "evil," and "griefs" are used to describe money and all that it can buy.
It is not wrong to love beautiful things. It is not even wrong to have beautiful things. But the dangers comes when wanting comes before living. When discontentedness grows to bitterness.
It was as though Timothy was talking directly to those with a handy computer, fast internet, who are supposed to be researching clothe diaper choices and somehow end up on the Pottery Barn website looking at leather couches.
The love of money makes the blessings in life unsatisfying. Have you ever longed for something, finally got it and then felt discontent right away? No wonder the words "trap," "foolish," "plunge," "ruin," destruction," "evil," and "griefs" are used to describe money and all that it can buy.
It is not wrong to love beautiful things. It is not even wrong to have beautiful things. But the dangers comes when wanting comes before living. When discontentedness grows to bitterness.
Philipians 4:11-13 says, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Whether in plenty or in want, I would rather live like this:
"The LORD bless you and keep you;the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
Numbers 6:24-26
No Pottery Barn sofa required.
What have you been ogling lately? And how do you balance contentedness with "wants"?
8 comments:
I have been struggling with this lately.Especially moving into a new house and wanting it to be my dream house over night. New furniture, wall decorations and a perfect yard. As I have been struggling the Lord led me to Ecclesiates where Solomon talked about everything being vanity compared to living for the Lord. I spent many days and hours just asking the Lord to help me to find contentment in my situation because I truly do have so much to be thankful for.
I can tell we're friends because I liked all the items you posted;-)
I am oogling a new cookware set (matching, with lids that don't fall apart), and a house with a yard so I don't have to have my office/junk room as my bedroom. Sigh.
I'd take that 5d Mark II camera for sure!
I've reconciled the fact that I will always want more then I have but need to be content with what I have. It's easy to make a wish list (I've had one on Amazon for years...it's currently got billions of dollars worth of photography equipment on it!) but it's hard to stick to a budget and to be happy with what I do have.
I'd love to spend a ton of money on photography equipment. I *really* want to upgrade my camera body but my husband's rule (and it's a fair one) is that I can't spend household money on photography equipment and can only spend what I earn. It makes me really think about making a big purchase though. Like buying Lightroom yesterday put me quite a bit back in my savings towards a used 5D but will speed up my workflow so I can spend more time with my family and less time on the computer editing photos until the wee hours of the morning.
I know I am limited with my current camera body, particularly with it's poor handling of high ISOs, but at least I have it and know how to work it. My uppper lefthand focus point quit working a little over a week ago so now I'm learning to be more creative in composing since I used that particular focus point about 50% of the time. Probably time to call Canon Customer Service and pony up some more hard earned money to get it fixed!
I do have a cloth diaper pattern I've been using that works really well. I get the PUL (plastic, waterproof) material for about $5-10 a yard which makes 4 diapers. I've been making them into pocket diapers that you stuff prefolds into but if you want AIO's you can use your old stained kitchen towels as the absorbancy in the center and buy new ones with the money you saved!
Thanks for sharing. I like your earrings and boots. :) Contentedness--always a battle. We put our house up for sale with the desire to move somewhere with a bit more room. But God has been telling me over and over, 'Be content with what you have; never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.' So, if we stay or go--content is my desire. Kelsey
Well now I want every single thing you listed :) LOL...I actually I am quite content with my new camera...a 7D. What camera are you shooting with?
but everything else. love it.
I want a Mac Laptop,But Godliness with contentment is great gain And I am thankful that is true! And that I got to kiss my grandchildren in person yesterday instead of just looking at them on the computer
To me you are the rich and famous! I honestly don't know (like really know) anyone that lives more extravagantly. I think you need to make poorer friends :)
Post a Comment