keeping up appearances

photo from: Shery

Appearances are a funny thing. They can make you think that something is one way when it may be something else entirely.

I've been thinking about posting on this topic for a little while but for some reason, God has just really laid it on my heart this morning.

Do you ever feel the "keeping up with the Jones'" pressure? If you've never heard that expression before it's a lifestyle of having things bigger and better than another person. I see it all the time, even in our small town. Why aren't we happy with who we are and what we have? Why has our culture become a "I HAVE to have this now!" or "This will make me feel better if I have it!", "I'll be more accepted (or popular) if I have this." I'm talking about all people here, not just fellow Christians. God tells us Christians that we are to be satisfied in Him, but even other non-believers should re-examine their needs and wants.

What is it about someone's self-esteem that makes them feel as though they need the big house, and the expensive furnishings, the new trucks and the toys (oh, the toys! the boats and the quads and all the other un-necessaries?) And what example are we setting for our children??

I get a lot of people that say things to me like, "How do you do it all?" "I wish I could do all the things you do." but let me say that appearances can be deceiving. What you see on my blog here is me; there are no made up people, or animals, or ways of life. What you don't see though is the stack of laundry on my couch, the sink full of dishes, the used mini-van that seriously needs to be washed, the grass that needs mowed, the clutter on the kitchen counter. I'm a normal person with a normal life. Those things just aren't fun to blog about! :)

My husband and I live on one acre but are constantly dreaming of more. To get there though we need to keep our priorities in check. Hubby's truck is 11 years old. My van is 6 years old. Our home is small and old. We've never owned a new couch or a new vehicle. We live by the sweat (literally) of my husbands brow. Along with trying to save for something bigger though, we also have to remember that everything in the here and now is just a material possession. Nothing here is eternal. I don't need to have this and this and that to feel good about myself or my family. I am satisfied. I know that we love each other and that God loves us. And like the Beatles said, "All you need is love." Well, you do need a couple more things than love but not all the excess that we see nowadays!

How do you feel about this? Do you sometimes feel as if you don't measure up? Well guess what? You DO! Maybe not in the eyes of your boss or your neighbor but in the eyes of our Lord. He loves you, thinks that you are wonderful- yes, wonderful, and wants to give you the true desires of your heart.

Know that when you look at someone else and think, "Wow, I wish I had a life like theirs," that they have their issues too and most likely the more "stuff" they have, the less happy they truly are. Be thankful for what you do have, the things you've been blessed with, not what you don't have.

I think that if we could all take a step back and realize that all the "junk" lacks meaning that we'd be a happier society today.

**Can I also add that, to what degree are you willing to go into debt to have all these things? We're in over our heads in our homes, our counties, our states and our nation!**