1 Corinthians 3:19

1 Corinthians 3:19

For the wisdom of this world is folly with God.

A well-known home supply company has a slogan that says “never stop improving”. Each time I hear this slogan, I get a feeling of genuine fatigue. The message this company is sending is that the job is never finished…there is no finish line…there is always more that can be done to makes things “better”. For a company that is looking to increase revenue streams each year, it’s a great slogan. But for the everyday, average man, it can be tiring. In our world today, this message infuses every part of our lives. In our jobs, we should be constantly looking to increase our compensation and move into a higher position. In our parenting, we should be constantly pushing our kids to be elite students and more accomplished athletes. We should keep a constant eye on our bank accounts and investments, ensuring that we are shuffling funds and rolling the dice to keep the balance growing at a healthy pace. We should upgrade our material possessions on a regular basis, ensuring that we don’t fall behind the latest trends and let the Jones’ outshine us. Nothing is every good enough…there is always room for more…always room to make things “better”. This makes great sense from a worldly perspective…get more, get happier…right? The tricky thing about this idea is that it really never ends…we never really reach a point where we are satisfied. And during the process, we get all knotted up just trying to keep up. We find false contentment in that new job, the higher salary, the new house, the new car, the social recognition…but then it wears off. And we stand in want again. God didn’t create us to be like this. God created us to enjoy the blessings that he has provided, but to keep those blessings in their rightful place…as just a part of our lives, and not the center of our lives. To the world, it seems completely logical and wise to operate with this “never stop improving” mentality, but to God, it’s foolishness. God wants us to find peace and contentment in where he has placed us in this life. He wants us to be content and know that we have absolutely everything we need in Christ. For it is through Christ that we have access to the Father, that we are granted the inheritance of heaven, and that we have the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. And in this faith in Christ, we have absolutely everything that we need. So today, work hard at your jobs, enjoy and give thanks for all the material blessings that God has provided, and guide your children with a loving hand. But remember to keep it all in check, in its rightful place...so that when the sun finally sets, and the day comes to an end, you may find the genuine rest and peace that can only be found in the Lord. Be content with what He has provided, trusting that all you really need is found in Him…and be at peace.