Greetings from the Pastor’s Study. Perhaps you have heard the story of the man who wished to dispose of his home. He went to see a friend who was in the real estate business and describing his house and pro
perty to
the man, asked him to write an advertisement which he could put into the local newspaper. His friend did as he was asked and then read what he had written to the home owner.
“Read that again,” said the man who wanted to sell his house. His friend obliged and heard this incredible comment: “The house is not for sale. All my life I’ve wanted a place just like the one you have described. But I never knew what I had until I heard what you have written about it.”
I shared that story with a man in our church in Indiana who made his living as a real estate agent one day while we were having lunch together. He laughed and said to me, “Jim, that happens more often than you would
imagine.”
Isn’t it remarkable that we so often have to see our lives or possessions through the eyes of other people in order to truly appreciate what we have? Unfortunately, we live at a time when we are bombarded daily by commercials urging us to buy the next new gadget or our lives will not be complete. The video entitled, “Affluenza,” which we saw sometime ago after a harvest dinner, poignantly exposed the epidemic of dissatisfaction that many Americans feel as they desperately “try to keep up with the Joneses,” with many ending up in bankruptcy.
It should not be this way. In fact, Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to stop and reflect on the many blessings God has bestowed upon us and thereby, hopefully, break the cycle of pessimism and discouragement of never
being able to live up to this “imaginary, unattainable standard of perfection” promoted by Madison Avenue.
Take some time to look at your life, your possessions, your accomplishments and thank God for where you are right now. Is it wrong to want more . . . to accomplish more . . . . not necessarily. But, if you look around at other people and wish you had their new car or new home or job title with its perks, and not be thankful for what God has given you, it won’t be long before you will become resentful, bitter and unpleasant to be around.
So this month, my friends, take time to be thankful . . . yes, truly thankful for all you have; your family, your friends, your home, your church, your job and especially for your relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. For I am convinced that if we will learn to be thankful for what we have and not be bitter about those things we don’t have, we will have significantly more joy in our lives and experience that peace that passes all understanding.
God bless you.
See you in Church.
Pastor Jim
