"But godliness with contentment is great gain” 1 Tim. 6:6
Many, many…well many years ago (when I was in 7th
grade) I can remember asking, “Mr. Morner, can I go to the bathroom?” As if it
were yesterday, I remember his reply, “I’m sure you can…..” and then the pregnant
pause as he waited for me to correct my grammar and say, “May I go to the
bathroom?” “Can” and “may” were to be used correctly when we asked for
permission. In the same vein today I am considering need and wants and just
today my grandson said to me (on our third snow day), “Papa, I need something
to eat.” At 10:30 a.m. it was just 3 short hours ago that he had had breakfast and
of course he was hungry…but was it “need” or was it just “want”?
In our pre-trip devotions today we have been asked to consider our “needs”
and our “wants”. For me they sometimes become conflated. Several weeks ago I
felt we needed to replace our digital camera.
After all the one we have is several years old, and there is so much better
technology…and memory, and resolution, and….Even as I write
these words I am amazed that I can look back and realize that a
camera is a want, not a need (at least for me). It was my wonderful wife
who helped me “calm down”, take some time, and finally let it go…"Our 'old'
camera will be just fine"! We don't need a new one.
God has truly blessed me with everything I need and has blessed me with so many things I want. So today my prayer is that I can be content with every good
gift I have been given: my wife, my children, my health, the food I ate for
lunch, the heater working in the house, the dozens of choices I have on TV, the
freedom I have in this country, the relative safety of my neighborhood; all of
these have been granted to me by a loving God!
Where we are traveling we will experience example after
example of contentment, and those we meet may have 1/10th of the blessings I have listed above!
Father in heaven help me always to find my contentment in
You and what you have given me; and in doing so having great gain!
Don K
Don K
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