In our culture it is very tempting to focus on what we don’t have.
Our house is never big enough.
Our gadget is never new enough.
Our teeth are never white enough.
Our skin is never clear enough.
Our TV screens are never wide enough.
You get the picture.
Very simply – I want to encourage you to use what you already have doggone it. Shake what your mama gave you. Ride what the Lord provided you until the wheels fall off! Take your eyes off of what you don’t have and focus on how you can squeeze every bit of value out of what you have right now!
Do you see a picture in the upper right hand corner of my blog of me with a MacBook Pro? If not, refresh the page. Nice isn’t it?
It’s not mine. It belonged to the photographer who thought my computer, a crappy Gateway that cost $400 that I bought @ Wal-Mart, was not photogenic enough (he was right). My computer doesn’t have a webcam. It’s pretty slow. The battery hardly holds a charge. It’s not even a little cool, but doggone it I have used this thing and basically built Courageous Church from scratch with it! We raised $25,000 for school uniforms and toys for kids this past Christmas from it! I write my sermons from it and do my homework for grad school on it.
I am typing from that crappy Gateway now…1 year later. I love it.
I don’t own an iPod. I don’t have an iPhone. I don’t own a flat screen TV.
You get the picture? I wouldn’t mind having those things and don’t mind if you do, but right now I am focused on being thankful for what I have and using it the best I can to honor God. I need these lemons to make lemonade!
Matthew 25:23 comes to mind.
Be faithful over a few things…I will make you a ruler over many!
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This is awesome Shaun. I think everyone needs to hear this every once in a while.
Good word Shaun and if we don't learn about living and being happy with what we have especially now (during the recession and all) , we never will. It's so hard for God to use us while we are so focused on me me me . . . right? Let those who have ears (to hear the spirit of God) hear.
Thanks Shaun, I really needed to hear this!
Truly inspirational and needed for where my wife and I are at right now. Thanks.
I need to hear it myself too man!
Great post, bro. You are not just talking about it, but modeling it. Thanks.
Great post! Confirmation for me that I need to stick to my commitment to drive my car until it quits.
I definitely needed this. I have such a bad attitude about having no a/c in my car… but I need to be reminded to be thankful that I even have a car in the 1st place! Thanks Shaun!
Shaun I wish I had a couple thousand dollars to send you to get you a nice macbook pro, but honestly I have no money myself. And, if i sent you that money you probably would use it to buy more school supplies or help someone in need and not buy the computer.
Thanks for the post and the reminder that our possessions dont own us and we can't take them with us.
Thanks P. Shaun! I've started the envelope system and it's helping me to appreciate stuff like this. I totally did not know you had a gateway! I'm such a macbook envier. I don't have a laptop yet, but praying for one! For now I enjoy going to the library, but those 30 min limits are limiting me!
Awesome man. So true.
This goes perfectly with my facebook status for today…Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.
AWESOME! Living life is so much more important that accumulating stuff isn't it?!
now i feel bad about saving all summer for a macbook pro….. oh well my computer was too old to handle my animation programs anyway haha
inspiring…brings a lot into focus. I have an ibook that i have had for 5 years, i call it my pinwheel, but its what i got to get done what i need to do in ministry. thanks!