"Something More"
"Just as soon as I get what I want I get unsatisfied. Good is good, but could be better…” That’s a line from a song I heard recently. It goes on to say, “I keep looking for something more.” I began to think about and realize how true that is. My new shoes are only new and fun to wear the first few months, and then I need new ones. My VCR is no longer good enough; I need that new DVD player instead. Why is that?! Why are we always looking for something more- something newer, something faster, something better?
Paul says in Philippians 4:12, “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.” Paul obviously knew what it was like to have nothing. In fact, when he wrote the letter to the Philippians, he was in prison. But Paul also knew what it was like to be “well fed” and “living in plenty.” So what was his secret? Paul’s hope and trust were in Christ and he knew that in Christ we have all we need. In 1 Timothy 6:6-7 Paul states, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” I know that sometimes I forget that last part.
Does this mean that God doesn’t want us to have things and enjoy them? Not at all. Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all- how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things.” And Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” God loves us and wants to bless our lives. But if our “things” start becoming more important than the most important thing in our lives- our relationship with Christ- then maybe we need to stop and remember that we have all we need in Christ alone. Many of us will never be in Paul’s situation. We will never be shipwrecked, homeless, starving, or in prison. But if Paul could say that he was content in those kinds of situations, we can surely be content in ours. We need to stop looking for something more and look to the One who gives us all we need.
-Jenni Brummel