“I got new undies.”
My two-, soon to be three-year-old grand daughter got a new pack of panties the other day and was thrilled.
OK so what?
My wife recently put her iPhone through the wash…ugh. But she was excited — although it was costly — to receive a new phone with new features.
Both of these were exciting based on who received them. But I also realize will become very normal as time goes on.
So the question is, “Is that all there is to life?” One new purchase to another with boredom in between? Or one new experience?
I weighed this thought because the root question all of us need to ask is “What is important in life?”
Toddlers want new undies. Adults want new stuff, iPhone, car, trip or even a double-double.
Seniors simply want to be healthy.
But is that it? That same morning as I sat in bed having brought a chai tea latte to my wife and coffee for me I had a realization. My wife simply held my hand — wow earth shattering — but in the simplicity of that act I realized stuff is stuff but relationships matter. And I had an “ah ha” moment.
I’ve met very happy people in Haiti and the Philippines who are very happy and seriously poor. I’ve met seriously happy people, and some quite miserable people who have an abundance of material resources. But in either situation, relationships were key to real life satisfaction.
I know a family who are definitely not poor but not affluent either, but they love to give. Some small stuff, some real wow gifts but love to care for people. And in doing that, in building relationships in love, they get great joy.
There is a reason Jesus said “it is better to give than receive.” And in modelling that he also gave of himself on the cross for our sin. That is a truth that needs more time to explain, but Christ loved each of us…you…enough to actually willingly die in our place. In doing so he offers us a relationship with himself. Again that needs more explanation, but let me offer this in explanation.
Christ, God himself, loves you and desires relationship with you. Now if the real joy in life is through relationships, and he is offering a relationship to you freely, isn’t even the potential of that enough to cause you to want to know more?
Many churches in town will easily help you to learn more but let me go a step further. There are a couple churches in town offering the Alpha course this fall. Google it. It’s an introductory course on Christianity. A nice meal, a video and some real frank discussion where any question is able to be asked.
Is it worth investigating — a real relationship with God himself — wow. Make a phone call, Google, get involved but real joy, real happiness is not in winning the lottery, it is in having real loving relationships, some will last a life time, one will last for eternity.
Rob Scott, pastor, Kinnaird Park Community Church