This post has been rumbling around my heart and mind for a few days now, it has been spurred on by a number of things including two reports both published recently. The first report from UNICEF concerning the well-being of children in the world, it makes sobering reading for someone from the United Kingdom as children here are said to be amongst the most unhappy children in the world. While poverty and disease are not a huge factor they suffer from relationship deprivation, stress and material overload. Parents are more likely to give their children things than they are to play with them, somehow we equate love with stuff, and that simply does not work!
The second report is shorter but no less sobering it simply declares "UK officially bottom of pile" . It continues :
"A survey of over 2,000 adults found their biggest concern was "broken society", as well as the cost of living, crime and violence, while some 5% said they were happy with the UK, with over one in 10 "seriously considering" emigrating.
France topped the index for the third year in a row, despite the average household annual net income being £7,000 below that of the UK."
So what is it that makes us so unhappy, could it really be that we are unhappy because we can't afford all of the stuff we want? I was pondering this while searching for something to watch on T.V. one afternoon, I had a cold and just wanted to crash, channel after channel all I found to watch were programmes telling me what to wear (or what not to wear), what to eat, how my house should look, where my house should be. I seems we are a nation obsessed with food, clothes and having a perfect home.
Set all of those cares and concerns against Jesus words:
"There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever become taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." (Matthew 6: 26-33)
Interestingly other programmes such as "Super Nanny", where Jo Frost swings into action helping families to get along together with the emphasis on creating good homes for children, are full of advice on spending time with one another and creating good relationships. It seems that so often we need help in sorting our lives out, in pulling free from the trap of never ending wants, to escape the demands of a culture that says you must have the latest gadget, the perfect body, the most beautiful home in order to be happy.
I wish I could say that the church is unaffected by these demands, but I know that state that would be lying, we are caught in the trap of keeping up or outdoing the Joneses whether we admit it or not. Of course there are individuals and groups who buck that trend, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Quite simply, we are impressed with wealth, and all too often taking real joy in our faith is choked by the weeds of worry that we might not have enough, or the cares of how we are going to repay the debts for the stuff that we have.
We need to become truly counter-cultural, to reassess our values and refocus our desires, we need to learn to love ourselves for who we are, not what we have, and if we can do that then we might begin to be able to extend that love to others. To do that we need to be God focused, we need to hear afresh what he says about us, how much he loves and cares for us. We don't need to be the perfect shape or wear the latest fashions for God! We can look in the mirror and say simply "I am special because God loves me!"...
For many finding contentment is not going to be easy, because it will mean breaking free from the cares and demands that surround them every day. I pray that the church can become a place where wealth and fashion are not important, where we will accept people for who they are. To do that we will have to start with ourselves, be willing to take a long hard look in that mirror and ask seriously, "am I content?"Have I decided for God, to live a life of God-worship, do I fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in my closet are in fashion?"
Maybe then we can:
Give our entire attention to what God is doing right now, and not get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. For God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. (Matthew 6: 34)
