The happiest people aren’t necessarily the ones with the most toys. That’s not the message we are hit with on a daily basis through media and propaganda, but it’s true. The happiest people I know are those who have learned the secret taught by the Apostle Paul in the book of 1 Timothy chapter 6 in the Bible. The happiest people are those who have learned that “godliness with contentment is great gain”.
How is this so? Contented people have a different perspective than those caught up in the rat-race of materialism. When you find your value and identity in what you possess you are never satisfied. As soon as you feel you have arrived at a place where you can rest and catch your breath, your neighbor will pull up in a new, shinier model than the one you own, or your buddy will pull out the newest electronic gizmo that makes yours look like yesterday’s leftovers. When you look to things to give you meaning and purpose it is like filling a bucket that has no bottom, it stays empty.
Judging yourself based on money or possessions leads to a life of discontentment. A good definition of discontentment is…”when we are no longer satisfied having what we have.”
It’s all about perspective. The Bible says for us to “flee” this type of thinking (1 Tim 6:11). With just a short survey of the Bible we find that God doesn’t deal much with the amount of money or possessions we have. God is more interested in whether or not the money and possessions has us. It’s all about perspective.
The ending balance in your checkbook does not make you more or less valuable in the eyes of God. Your identity is not to be found in your wallet, the brand of clothing you wear, if you can afford a car or not, and if you can, the make and model you drive, or the square footage of the home you live in. You are more than your stuff. In fact, why don’t you say that out-loud, “I Am More than My Stuff.”
Do you know what God says about you? He calls you the apple of His eye , the sheep of His fold , you are the prize of creation . Think about it. You’ve heard the old saying, “He saved the best for last.” Read the creation account in Genesis chapter 1. God made everything there is in all the universe and then he made mankind last. Why? He was making sure everything was just right before you came along.
The next time you are tempted to find your value in money or material possessions, go for a walk on a star-lit night, watch a sunrise, listen to the birds of the air as they sing their melody and remember that you are loved and valued by the owner and master of all things. Say it again out-loud, “I Am more than My Stuff.” Yes you are. If you are in Christ, you are a child of the King.
