Judging by the magazines that seem to be the most popular and the TV programs that permeate the airwaves it would appear we have a fascination with the lifestyles of the rich and famous. As a matter of fact a few years ago there was a TV show dedicated to that very subject. As we all know the lifestyles of the rich and famous can be quite intriguing. The cars they drive are amazing, the homes they live in boggle the mind. The fences they build to protect their stuff are intimidating. I must admit I enjoy seeing how the “other half” (the half I’m not in) lives. But a beautiful homes and nice things really only tell us one thing. They tell us that these people make a lot of money. The life style of the rich and famous is usually a tour where we get to see their "stuff". But if you've ever done the tour of Beverly Hills all you really see are the vine covered fences that keep us away from the people who own the "stuff". While we may sometimes admire the things rich and famous people have, once you get behind the fence and see the personal lives of some of these people the fascination often ends. It becomes more of a spectacle, like seeing a car wreck. It’s horrible to watch but you can’t turn away. So we buy the magazines and watch the shows which keep us informed of the latest break up, drug overdose or jail sentence and think to ourselves "if I had all that money that wouldn't happen to me. If God would just give me a chance I'd prove it."
Yes, there are many rich people with wonderful marriages and loving families. But these people will tell you themselves, if they are honest, their families are not strong because they have a lot of money. Money can buy a lot of things but it cannot buy wisdom, a good marriage or a loving family.
Proverbs 17:1 “Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife.”
Better is a dry morsel with quietness. This will never become a the plot for a TV show. They will not be selling tickets to see this house. This home will not need a fence around it to keep the paparazzi out. But the people inside would not trade what they have for anything they see in the house full of feasting.They have quietness. They have contentment, they love and care for one another. They have learned that the quality of our lives is determined by the quality of our relationships. They have found something money can’t buy.
- It is caring not cash that makes a house a home.
- It is wisdom not wealth that makes a house a home.
- It is forgiveness not finances that makes a house a home.
- It is the time we spend with our children not the things we buy for our children that makes a house a home.
Bottom line - it is Christ that makes the difference. Christ gives us all we need to have a home where there is quietness, joy, and contentment. All these are found in a personal relationship with Him. How sad that so many families have sacrificed the important for the trivial. They have traded quietness for strife because they have believed a lie. Life does consist in the abundance of the things we possess. Our kids will not be happy unless they have more stuff. That is a lie. Our children need us not the things we can buy for them. I don't know if there are any stats to back this up but I would dare say there are many families sitting down today to a feast, who would trade it all for a "dry morsel with quietness", trade it for a meaningful relationship with their spouse, or their children.
If we know Christ we have all the wisdom, strength, and love to turn our house into a home that the kids will want to be part of and always want to come home to. Certainly it is not a sin to be rich. If you have been blessed by God financially, be generous, be thankful, be wise and do not set your heart on riches and remember this...
- It is faith not a feast that makes a house a home.
It's better to have a dry morsel with quietness than feasting with strife. Are you choosing the better of the two? What's it like around your table?
Proverbs 22:1-2
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