community w

There is a lyric in the musical Pippin that says: "Let me tell you all the story of a sorrowful lad, had everything he wanted, didn't want what he had." Why does this resonate so profoundly in today's society? Why are we as a species so prone to thinking the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence? Why do we always want more? And more importantly, why do we always seem to want what we know we cannot have? God wants us to be content with what He has provided, and by all rights we should be. Why, then do we frequently go out of our way, and often self destructively, to get what we do not have? In all fairness, while this is a prevalent  problem in today's society, it is hardly a new phenomenon. You can trace this thought back to the Garden of Eden. Even in the time of King Solomon people wanted more. Not even the king himself was immune, denying himself nothing. But we are fortunate enough to benefit from King Solomon's example, and wisdom. Solomon filled his life with every treasure and presumably every pleasurable experience known in that day. Did the wisest and wealthiest man in the world give us a running tabulation on his experiences? Did he rank them on a scale from 1 - 10? No. Solomon had the same comment for each one, "this too was meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Now does this mean that we are to sell all of our possessions and live like hermits? I really don't think so. However, these passages  are pretty clear on what our priorities should be. I mean, do we really need the X-Station Whee  3000 game system with the 52 inch, flat panel TV? No. Frankly, my three daughters are just as happy playing Pacman. Would they like something bigger? Sure, but they are happy with what they have. One of the biggest hazards of leading a dissatisfied life is losing your focus. Instead of looking toward Heaven, and thanking and praising God for all He has done for us, we focus on what we can do ourselves to bring more stuff in to our life. Comedian Steven Wright once said "you can't have everything , where would you put it?"  Another fallback to dissatisfaction is the temptation to take short cuts. We see it all the time, whether it is CEO's committing corporate crime, or young hoodlums selling crack on the corner, the root cause is the same, taking a short cut to get the things you think are going to make you happy. The Bible warns us, "what benefit a man if he should gain the world but lose his soul?"  It is particularly relevant in this Christmas season, when we are bombarded with the message that our lives would be happier if we just bought this one thing. It is important  that we step back and take a moment to reflect. Just reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Not the 'black friday' shop till  you drop meaning. Not even the Currier and Ives white Christmas, warm fire, family, friends and food meaning . But the TRUE meaning of Christmas, that 2000 years ago a child was born of a virgin. A child who grew up, felt pain, and knew suffering unlike any of us may ever know. A child  that cleansed the world with His blood, a child named Jesus. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown...