Motivation of the Heart (part 4)

So it’s been a little while since I last updated my page. Just imagine planning four big events at once…ya, that’s what I’m kinda going through right now, but to tell you the truth, I’m stressed but not freakin out which is a good thing..I think. Anyways, maybe the time that has passed will help me with a little of what I was thinking about when I originally started this four part series (if you can call it that).
A lot of people I know are or have struggled with this thought of consumerism. They often talk about the mighty fist of American culture, usually in reference to the ways in which we spend our money after they have just returned from some amazing mission trip to a third world country. How we white, rich, americans sit in our heated, walled and roofed classrooms debating the issues of life and death and there are people all around the world and even in Nampa Idaho who can’t afford a solid meal, and yet we as consumers will go out that night and buy a new pair of shoes (that’s my own taste) or a whatever it is that we don’t need, just because. This consumeristic (if that’s a word) thought then rolls over into everything that we do. From church and the mall made Santa, to even the way people view the nightly news (this high def signal or cable on this flat screen tv or that projector) there are ways that people want to peg being a American into being a consumer. True, I think we are all consumers, just as one who buys milk from a farmer in a third world country, we are both paying for goods or a service. However, that’s not what people are talking about. No, it’s the thought of we WANT more or that we can never have enough. So one person even goes as far as saying that they are feeling guilty window shopping and have pretty much decided that being a consumer is a sin. Very interesting point.
Can we separate being a Christian with being an American, or is that too much to ask? Can we separate being a Christian and being a consumer from sin, I totally think so. I think it all comes down to a motivation of the heart. What are we really seeking in that act? Are we seeking fame and glory and more stuff than we can imagine? Are we just buying to have and not buying because we need? Are we not being good stewards of our money? I think those are the questions we need to ask, for I do not think that you are sinning because you live in America where we have a good portion of wealth. No, I think you are walking a fine line when you come to the point of not using what God has blessed you with in an appropriate manner. Is that a hard thought to follow? So there is that part of the argument and thought…and then there is this:
Where am I going to be in the next couple months, half a year, year? Multiple options, multiple places, and well…there is a lot to think about and a lot to decide on. People constantly ask me for updates and such and really…it’s interesting. Go I just think that God is going to reach down out of the sky and place his finger on the map and then pick me up and move me there? Well, I don’t think that would be totally crazy if it happened, but really, I think that there comes a time when I must just think and then decide. A wise pastor once told me that when you have a bunch of good options you should be happy because God is giving you the opportunity to decide what you like. It’s a motivation of the heart issue. Are you in it for yourself or are you in it for something that is much bigger and really, much better than you could ever be? So pick one, stick with it never looking back and recognize that God will honor your decisions if you are truly seeking to honor him with your life. Maybe that’s why I’m not totally freakin out. Honestly, this was an amazing day. I’ve had offers to go places and such, but I have wanted to find a way to be in Ellensburg for quite some time now and well…I took a pretty big step recently and today was evidence that I think God is definitely supporting me. Within a matter of hours I had had multiple conversations about a potential job, then an interview, then potential housing for Steph or myself, and then well…just some good ol encouragement. What a day. Yes the thought of moving somewhere close to Steph, to begin the process of blending our lives together for a long long long long time is exciting, but to realize that I could have a place in ministry there, a place connecting with the community whether that be college students or not, and well…that is such a pleasant thought that I don’t know if I’ll be able to go to bed tonight. SO there you have it…my first four part series. Let me know what you think if you actually read it and well…enjoy the night.