“So when you get right down to it, your house is nothing more than a place to keep your stuff . . . while you go out and get . . . more stuff. ‘Cause that’s what this country is all about. Trying to get more stuff. . . . So you keep getting more and more stuff,, and puttin’ it in different places. . . . And even though you might like your house, you gotta move. Gotta get a bigger house. Why? Too much stuff.”- Comedian George Carlin, Brain Droppings
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”- Matthew 6:21
Satisfied: Discovering Contentment in a World of Consumption is the second book by author and pastor Jeff Manion. His first book was The Land Between. In the Introduction (“In Search of the Satisfied Life”) he observes that George Carlin’s social commentary hits all too close to home. Yet when we encounter the teachings of Jesus, we’re confronted with His rather straightforward comments challenging our propensity to define our lives by our possessions. Even if we have dedicated our lives to ministry or service-oriented vocations, it’s healthy to examine the extent to which materialism has infiltrated our lives.
Pastor Manion states that the challenges faced by the Christians in Corinth and Ephesus weren’t much different from our own. Satisfied explores how we can benefit from the encouragement given to those early Christians.
Today’s question: Following your vocation loss, did you find the influence of materialism more invasive than you previously thought? Please share.
New addition to Crown Jewels: “Disciplines, habits, or principles”
Tomorrow’s blog: “The freedom of contentment”
