Search
Google for the keywords “money” and “happiness” (or unhappiness), and you’ll
find polar differences in opinions. There are those that, from experience,
realize that money and the things it can buy really do not “make” people happy.
I realize this more every day when I read online posts by those intent on
having the latest mobile phone. I’ve been reading and contributing to a few
sites for enough years to know that every year, those that felt that the latest
and greatest would make them happy are, just a few months or maybe a year
later, dissatisfied and no longer happy with their phone. It is not that their
current phone is defective, it is just not the latest/greatest on the market.
People of
that sort actually demonstrate the truth of the statement that money and the
things it can buy do not, cannot, and will not ever buy real/true happiness. If
a person were truly happy with what they have, they wouldn’t become so quickly
and easily discontented. It really is a vicious cycle that is akin to a dog
chasing its own tail—even if it catches itself, it eventually has to let go in
order to catch it again. (Admittedly, in my own experience, my happiness with a
product lasted up to the point that the next model came along.)
In
contrast to this is Jesus’ observation that insatiable greed does
nothing to extend a person’s life. Hence, the Bible advises true Christians
to be free of the love
of money. Contentment is one real key to true happiness that is not
short-lived. Once a person realizes that chasing the never-ending, insatiable desire
for the “next best thing” actually doesn’t have any ability to make one truly
happy, they can start to live a contented life.
However,
does being content mean that you will never want to treat yourself? No, it
doesn’t. But the difference is akin to a donkey being led by a carrot dangled
on a stick in front of its face as opposed to a donkey being fed at the
appointed meal time. Is what we want just desire built by marketing or is it
something we truly need and can put to use?
Based on
the two aforementioned scriptures, mature Christians should weigh carefully why
they feel they need and how they will be benefited by whatever it is they have
their eyes set on.
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