| Begin or End each week with a Meaningful Inspiration. |
by Tim Knappenberger |
Ever really want to get a good look at yourself? Have kids. Having kids humbles you. On the childless side of adulthood, you may think you have yourself all figured out. Fine. Go have a few kids. Then watch your "wall of self confidence" slowly come crumbling down. Erma Bombeck called kids God's punishment on parents. Sounds harsh and one-sided, I know, but more honest than many of us are willing to admit. Instead of God's punishment, maybe "God's mirrors" would be more accurate. When they're little, they run around being "God's little tape recorders." "Why no, Mrs. Jones, I have NO idea where Billy picked up a word like that!" Yeah, right! Certainly it wasn't from ole' frustrated Dad when he couldn't get the rusty washing machine hose off the spigot. No, must have been "those potty-mouthed kids down the street." When they get older, our children begin reflecting character traits that not only are our own, but are ones we're still working on ourselves. A few months ago, my oldest, Eric, with the help of the "First Bank of Grandpa and Grandma," bought his first car; pick up truck to be exact. Girls may mark as significant life passages the advent of their senior prom or their first date. For boys, it's their first set of wheels. I watched (and remembered) as Eric was literally beside himself with excitement over this new love in his life. Amazing what a pile of sheet metal, chrome, rubber and vinyl will do to a male. He washed it. He waxed it. He scrutinized it. He fondled it. He showed it off. He examined every inch of it. Boy and vehicle became one. But in the midst of this reverie, I also observed something else. . . something not so joyful, something dark, something familiar. He worried about an annoying rattle somewhere under the truck. He agonized about whether to spend his money on a new exhaust or a tune up. He crunched numbers wanting to make sure he could afford the insurance. He argued with me about whether the mirrors really matched or not. In short, along with the excitement of owning his first vehicle came the double jeopardy of "being owned" by that which he owned. As I watched him, I silently confessed to myself how many things in my life have come to "own" a piece of me. Mortgages, cars, lawns, even this computer that can royally bend me out of shape when it decides not to run right. That's the way it is with stuff. We think we own it, but all too often it owns us. Stuff lies. It's a master that keeps us enslaved by making us falsely feel in charge. Stuff demands way too much of our time, energies, attentions and loyalties. Ever sit down and count the number of hours of your life you invest in making sure the mortgage gets paid, the utilities stay on, and food is on the table? I'm not suggesting we all take a vow of poverty and return to the caves chewing on roots and berries. But I do suggest that as people, even as Christian people, we've gone WAY over the cliff in losing our perspective on how much the stuff in our lives owns and controls us. So what are we
to do? What is a healthy balance between our stuff and
our souls? How do we keep from being owned by what we
own? At the moment, time and space won't afford an
indepth look at these questions. For now, let's remember
that as believers, we have to start with what God's Word
says about stuff. Did you know that other than the topic
of love, Jesus addressed the issue of money and stuff
more than any other? Must be something there He wants us
to know and pay attention to.
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And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. Luke 12:29-30 |
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Please drop Tim a line at knapp@raex.com |
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