Clock Radios

"But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment" -1 Tim. 6:6 Sometimes I can be very annoying. I check and re-check things to make sure they're "set." I've never been clinically diagnosed as obsessive- compulsive, but I definitely have those tendencies. I like things to be in their place. It's good to be "tidy" but not good when it really doesn't matter. It's good for things to go as scheduled but not good when we resist God's better plan. It's not healthy when we've been given enough but we still want more. I was in the bedroom the other day and noticed our old alarm clocks that sit on the nightstands on each side of our bed. They looked dusty and old. I commented to Jeanie, "We need to get new alarm clocks." "Why", she asked? "These work just fine!" By the way, Jeanie would not be classified as OCD. She is not messy but doesn't stress over a pillow out of place. So, I began to describe all the reasons why we needed new alarm clocks. "These are dusty, they're worn out, and they won't charge our iPhone…they are just old." "Well okay,” she said. She's learned to leave me alone when I'm in "fix" mode. So, we drove to Bed Bath and Beyond and they had a bunch of different alarm clocks. We bought two of them that had a built in dock for the iPhone and a lot of gadgets. When we got home, I set them both up and we were set for an unbelievable experience with our clock radios. But the amazing experience turned sour. The clocks were too bright at night. Even set to their lowest, they kept us awake. And the iPhone cradle was awkward and noisy. So, a few days later, I returned the clock radios. I found two more that were less expensive, weren't as bright and worked just fine. I took them home and plugged them in. Again, ready to have a remarkable clock radio experience, I discovered that they were about the same as the original clock radios I had removed. So, I took those back to the store as well (they think I'm crazy), dusted and cleaned the old ones (that we hadn’t given away yet) and put them back in there place. We slept better that night, the clocks worked just fine and I saved $100. Our tendency is to always want more... 2 scoops could be 3 scoops, $10 could be $20, and partly sunny could be fully sunny. But the truth is, enough is enough. The word gluttony comes from the Latin word meaning "to gulp down or swallow." It means, "to gulp down to the point of extravagance or waste." We tend to associate gluttony with food, but most of the things we "gulp down" are much more damaging than what we eat. In Jesus' lesson about the rich young ruler, in Mark 10:17, Jesus was explaining that if we're focused on "gulping down" money, then we won't be focused on finding our peace in Him. Being rich, that man clearly had enough, but wasn't willing to give it away. We hold tightly to the most important things in our lives. Whether money, food, people, clock radios or God, where our heart is, our treasure lies. Jesus nailed it in Luke 12:34,“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." We'll never be content with anything other than Jesus. Be content with what God has provided. Trust that His provision is just right. Don't compare to those around you, but rather, prepare for God to bless you in His own unique way. He knows what He's doing and what you have is probably more than enough… …clock radios and all. By Eric Joseph Staples © www.parentingyourteen101.com