The Bullet of Happiness: No Satisfaction in Things
We are living in an age of intolerable diversity. There is no way any of us can fully respond to the maddening deluge of information, commercials, inventions and “opportunities” that bombard our senses. More has been accomplished in our lifetime than all the other civilizations in history put together. Yet, frustration and boredom seem to dominate the emotions of men and women rather than contentment and excitement.
Sociologists reported a few years ago that at the beginning of the twentieth century the average American wanted seventy-two things and considered eighteen of them important. Fifty years later the want list had risen to four hundred ninety-six, of which ninety-six were considered “necessary” to happiness. Only God knows how rapidly these figures are climbing! Things we used to consider “nice to have” have become “have to have.”
Yet, with all this “getting” there is no power to enjoy. Joy comes only from God, the Father, and, when our affections are not first on Him, all else will fade to emptiness. The Scriptures tell us that preoccupation with material things will prompt God to give us “leanness of soul” (Psalm 106:15) and that He will take away our “power to enjoy” the things we possess (Ecclesiastes 5:19 and 6:1-2).
No comments:
Post a Comment