Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious — the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.Philippians 4:8&9 (The Message)
I do obsess about stuff :: Apple... iPods... Trainers... Music... Places & Spaces and fab skinny lattes... but my obsession with this stuff is a distant second to my L O V E for my Lord... my wife... my we'ans... and the dear people God has put in my life.
I worry about promoting materialism and consumption in a world burdened with debt, exploitation and environmental danger... but I am conveying the things I dig... I am not saying :: I want... I want... I want... :: I am saying this is noble... authentic... compelling... BEAUTIFUL and you may want to check it out.
Hope this makes sense... Stuff wont save your soul :: only Jesus can do that! but, if handled correctly, it can make our lives that wee bit sweeter.
God does make everything work together in excellent harmony... and sometimes its good to take it in.
5 comments:
Enjoyed thoughts. Main spiritual battle is in the mind and sometimes it is war of the worlds. As for "obsessions", the Lord put it to Peter simply, "..do you love Me more than these?"
Dad M.
You do like "stuff"...!! Hee hee!! But I know what you are saying. Something that is well done, well designed, whatever...is like a little hand pointing up to God, saying "Check it out, God! Look what we made. Isn't it cool?" If we truly were created in God's image, God the Great Creator, it makes sense that we should be creative and into design.
I love it when I see design that incorporates beauty with function, when utalitarianism is draped with aesthetic intensity. It's what God did when he made this place, and we come closest to working in His image when we strive to do the same. In my humble opinion.
Humble but well said Paula! Your contributions are always welcomed. I too love practical beauty... utilitarianism is a design aesthetic I dig too - got it from my mum who has great stuff that always serves a purpose!
Thanks to my dad...for cutting through the fluff :: Jesus first!
Peace...
Interesting thoughts...and a wonderful blog !!
Just reminds me of someone's words:
Instead of
Using people and Loving things...
start
Loving people and Using things :)
Hi my friend...it's does no harm to make things clear from time to time. I don't have much to do with "stuff" on my blog for the very same reasons you state. It's not that it wouldn't be nice, but like you priorities need to be made when it comes to spending. I try not to obsess over things though it can worm in at times. I too get concerned about the debt issue. It's a HUGE problem! How about debt to the tune of 20k plus and that's not the mortgage - not me I hasten to add. How can people live with this pressure? Perhaps "drop the debt" needs to be redefined and represented for a UK audience.
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