Matthew 6:24-26 (NIV): “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
People today are so focused on material things. We are surrounded by advertisements and television shows that present a continual parade of the new, the improved, the stylish. There is such a thirst for new possessions and new experiences, that most people end up in debt trying to satisfy that thirst; working today to pay off yesterday’s stuff, while buying new stuff today that will have to be worked off tomorrow.
What a difference between that picture and the picture painted by Jesus. He says that God’s people should be more focused on the spiritual dimension than on the physical; more intent on redeeming souls than whatever the latest “big thing” is; more passionate about building our relationship with God than on the latest game or movie or television show.
It is this quest, this hunger and thirst for stuff and experiences instead of for righteousness, for more of God’s presence, for souls being brought to eternal life, that is behind most of the stresses and worries in this life. Many people have closets full to overflowing with clothes, but are stressed because they “can’t find anything to wear.” They have television with hundreds of channels, but are frustrated because “there’s nothing worth watching.” They have pantries, and refrigerators, and freezers full of food, but complain that there’s nothing that they feel like eating.
God will not provide all of the luxuries or choices that a person many want. But He has promised to provide all that we really need. In the wilderness, He provided the people with manna every day for over 40 years. It was tasty and nutritious, providing everything that the people needed to not only live, but to thrive. But after a while, the people rebelled against this simple, life-sustaining fare. They wanted more variety (like they had in Egypt when they were slaves!). Their thirst for variety and novelty took their focus off of what God actually did consistently provide, and made them sneer at what He gave them. (They actually called it “miserable food”! [Numbers 21:5]) They despised God’s gift of grace and demanded that He cater instead to their desires.
We, as God’s people today, could easily live much simpler lives – lives intentionally lived with fewer choices and simpler options. Lives in which we gratefully receive what God provides each day (“our daily bread” [Matthew 6:11). Lives in which what God provides is enough to satisfy our physical needs. If we would do that instead of focusing on the latest, newest, most stylish stuff, we would always have enough, and more than enough to satisfy our true NEEDS. And, leaving behind the pursuit of all that our society tries to get us to want, we would also have enough time and energy left over to build our relationship with God, and to grow the kingdom.
Father, it is easy to see how quickly and easily we can be snared by the companies that show us why we always need more and more stuff. It is also easy to see that none of that stuff actually satisfies our deepest needs. Lord, help us to be content with what comes from Your hand, with the many blessings that You provide. Help us to keep our priorities in line with Your priorities so that we can be wholly Your, and wholly devoted to Your work. Amen.