February 2022

I was at the gym the other day and heard the following lyrics in a Hip Hop song,

“I try to be everything that I can
But sometimes I come out as bein' nothin'”

In our world of anything and everything, I think maybe we are ending up, more often than not, with nothing. Many of us have so much. In fact, we have everything; we do everything; we “are” everything and yet it just isn’t enough. We take good things and sprinkle them with the illusion that more is always better. We seek bigger, better, faster, and wonder why we are exhausted.

The good things God has blessed us with – food, possessions, money, hobbies, vacations, etc. have become the ultimate. Again and again, we fall for the trap that once we achieve “X” or purchase “Y” we will be content.

Guess what? We won’t. Usually, we end up feeling emptier than before. We end up with . . .  NOTHING. 

What we need is less. NOT having everything is good.

Limits are good. 

Boundaries are good. 

Since the beginning of time, our gracious and loving God has given us boundaries and a framework to live fully in Him. In Genesis 2:16-17, Adam and Eve were told they can eat from any tree except the tree of life. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

As the Israelites wandered forty years in the desert, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.

In the New Testament Jesus gives us parables, lessons, and examples of how to follow Him. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.“ John 14:6.

Think of the fish in the sea. Yes, they CAN jump out of the water, but they won’t last long. God’s best for them is to stay in and enjoy the water. 

Having everything and being everything is just not going to make us happy. One of Tom’s favorite lessons to teach was contentment. And to be honest, in Tom’s last couple of months, he WAS content.  Tom would frequently tell me that he had no regrets; Tom had done and seen all he dreamed and there wasn’t a thing Tom would change if he had life to do all over again.

Tom had it figured out. Tom was content. His was a life well-lived. I hope you’ll click into one of Tom’s contentment lessons:

In closing, several decades ago I overheard a pastor’s wife commenting on her husband’s new red sports car. She said, “You know, I told my husband, if we are gonna make it through this midlife crisis of yours, you can either get a red sports car or (fill in the blank.) But if you wanna keep ME around, you better choose the red sports car.”

Once again, choices are good. Limits are good. God is good.

Let’s stop the madness. Turn to Him. Prioritize God as the center of your life and be obedient to His word. He’ll show you what you actually “need.”

His best is always better.

Sharon Coleman