Good morning and happy Saturday. I hope that you had a good week and can recognize God’s blessings in your life.
A couple of weeks ago I was doing some work for a friend. One thing that needed to be done was a little repair work on a high ceiling. I grabbed a 15′ step ladder and hauled it to the house. Unfortunately, once I tried to use it I discovered it was a few inches too tall. I knew the homeowners had a ladder since I had used it on other things. When I set it up I discovered it wasn’t quite as tall as I wanted. I was like Goldilocks, this ladder is too tall, this ladder is too short, I need one that is just right. Well, I didn’t have time to go get another ladder from somewhere else so I made do with what I had. Was it ideal? No. Would a different ladder have been better? Yes. Nevertheless, with a little creativity and reaching as far as I could, I managed to get the work done.
This morning, as I am writing this Rambling, our safe and reliable internet is down once again. Therefore, I am typing it on my phone. Since I am not a millennial, I would rather be using my computer. Nevertheless, this will have to do so I can get this out to the 4 people that will read it.
I think that the Goldilocks syndrome (Maybe I coined a new term?) is pervasive in our society. We want everything just right and aren’t willing to make do with what we have. Sometimes it is seen in simple things like the weather. It’s too hot, it’s too cold, I want it to be just right as 72.456 degrees. The same is true with the temperature in the church by the way. And the volume of the music, and the length of the service, and the lighting, and the….
Once you have this syndrome, you begin a lifelong quest for the just right. It will affect your relationships, your workplace, even your own happiness. You will find yourself never quite satisfied, not really fulfilled, even after buying the latest and greatest you thought you needed. You will find that there is something wrong with just about everything. My steak is a little too salty, the drawn butter for the lobster needs to be warmer, the Porsche doesn’t get great gas mileage, the property taxes on the summer property is too high, the job doesn’t give bonuses like Wall Street, your spouse doesn’t look like a supermodel, and on and on it goes. The reality is that you are searching for something that is elusive. Instead, we need to recognize the blessings God has given to us and be grateful for them. After all, godliness with contentment is great gain. Our search for the just right in life begins and ends with Jesus.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:33
“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
1 Timothy 6:7-9.
“Just one thing: live your life in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:27.
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