I was just listening to one of my favorite speakers, Tony Evans. He was preaching on the idea that you can’t buy happiness.
Here are some quotes…
You can buy a vacation, but you can’t buy rest.
You can buy a house, but you can’t buy a home.
You can buy a bed, but you can’t buy a good nights sleep.
You can buy a good education, but you can’t buy intelligence.
You can buy a crucifix, but you can’t buy salvation.
We are constantly being lured into this lie that everything that will make us happy lies on the outside of who we are. For me, it’s a lie that lives below the surface and rears its ugly head when I see someone with something I’d like to have but couldn’t ever have myself. I think, "I’d really like to have a hot tub." or "I’d like to go on that vacation." or "I’d like to repair ____ around the house."
In the core of my gut I know that if God’s truth didn’t dwell in me that I’d be more prone to chase these dreams. I’ve been around long enough to know that if I worked hard enough and if I manipulated my situation enough and if and if and if… I really could have all of those things that I want. I’ve proven that to myself already. I know I could get all of that stuff that I want. But I also have chased that enough to know that happiness is not there. I could chase that entire adventure… but I chose not to for something better.
I think it was learning this simple truth that Tony Evans teaches so well that saved me a world of heartache. True happiness is not found in the Bahamas or in a hot tub or if I have the best looking house on the block. Those are all nice things, but they can’t provide the happiness that comes from contentment.
contentment: noun happiness with one’s situation in life
I may not be the richest or most influential person in the world. I may not be as… whatever… as I had one day dreamed I would be. But what I am is more content than I ever thought I could be. I’m at a state in life where I’m saying to myself… "No matter what people say about me, no matter what happens to me, no matter how good or bad things go in 2007, I’m content."
The next challenge of contentment… how do I lead other people there?
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