Avoiding the Blues

I just finished listening to a great sermon on contentment called, "Avoiding the Blues". I have a goal to learn to be content. One of the ways I hope to achieve that goal is to learn more about contentment through studying scripture and listening to sermons. This sermon was mostly about being content with what we have, but it also touched on some of my issues of trusting that God's plan is best.

http://www.sermoncloud.com/sermons-about-contentment/?page=1

As I listened to the sermon I knitted a stocking cap. I am back to making hats as a winter hobby. This one turned out real nice.

One of the issues that comes up often at Christmas time at church is the whole Advent Conspiracy. The way I understand it is that we are suppose to give less to ourselves and our loved ones and give more to those in need. In theory this is a great idea and I would fully support it. But in practice, I think it is lame. What "we" end up doing is buying some toys for kids who come from a poor family. We give clothes and food too. But basically, how I see it, is that we are giving and teaching them to expect the kind of Christmas that we are learning to give up. All about the things. I understand that it is nice to give toys to kids. But seriously, have you seen how many toys even poor kids in America have? And then what really gets me is that next year, if they don't get chosen as a recipient of our kindness, their parents will give them what they can afford and their Christmas will be a disappointment because the one before they got some cool toys.

So in this sermon the pastor ends with talking about different opportunities to give. One is the shoebox ministry with Samaritans Purse that gives kids a shoebox full of useful items and a little book about the Gospel. I am a little more open to this idea, but even this is hard for me. In a poor society, each child does not need a box of crayons. One box is used for lots of kids. We don't need to be sending over a bunch of crap we get at the Dollar Store that will break in a week either. Again we are teaching them to want material possessions. Which reminds me of the movie "The God's Must Be Crazy". I am more than happy to give money to buy food for people or to help meet their other needs.

Then I started thinking about churches. This has really made me critical in the last few years, but when churches need to raise a bunch of money for their new building projects it goes totally against the teaching on contentment. Sure, there needs to be nice places for "seekers" to go that would attract them to church, but really, how important is the place we meet? Or like at my church, we have pastries and coffee provided after the service. Who needs those anyway? If you can't go without eating for a few hours then pack a snack. Think of all the money we use at church to make it comfortable. Wouldn't it be better to use that money to buy food for someone truly in need? And isn't that what God tells us to do anyway, to take care of widows and orphans?

So back to the sermon. I appreciated the pastor's teaching and it really made me think. I hope it also will teach me to learn contentment.