Traffic....High Speed Internet....On the Fast Track in Corporate America....BENTLEY vs. toyota (The fight to the luxury vehicle finish line..."don't get left behind with a regular car"!)In this society, we are conditioned to desire an "upgrade" after all who would be content with a flip phone if you can have a Blackberry? We are conditioned to believe that the most important thing for us to do...is WORK! We must work until we have little to no energy to do anything else to achieve a certain level of "success" that is spelled out for us on shows like "Cribs". No longer is the white picket fence acceptable (at least for the next generation) as they no longer have the Cosby lifestyle to try and live up to but now they are chasing the million dollar homes of athletes and celebs.
Now please don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with living a comfortable lifestyle and having a hefty savings account (tis something I strive for myself). My question is: At what cost do we desire these things? I have spoken with several men in regards to their idea of provision for their children (and yes I do believe that the man is to be the main provider for his family, before the woman in a perfect world). I found it interesting that many of the men were more focused on making sure that their child had "the best" of everything from designer baby shoes and expensive car seats to expensive video gaming systems for their older children.--Not a surprise...actually a beautiful sentiment. What I find alarming is the cost that comes along with providing these luxury items for their children. These men were willing to work unbelievably long hours with schedules that would not allow them to see their children before their bedtime. Specifically a certain man worked 80 hours per week to earn a hefty $50,000 per MONTH! WOW I say! Sounds wonderful especially with an economy like this. But lets look at the other side of the equation. 120 hours (in 5 day work week) - 80 work hours= 40 remaining hours/5 days per week= 8 hours per day of free time. If you only sleep 6 hours a night the other 2 hours are probably used to get dressed, maybe grab a donut and coffee for breakfast, wave at the wife and kids as you run out of the house and get in your Mercedes so that you can sit in traffic on your way to your very demanding job! Maybe your weekends are free but then again I'm sure with that type of job you may have to play golf on a Sunday to keep a client invested in your company or you may actually just be exhausted or God forbid have to take work home with you. Overall, is it really worth it? Do your children need all of the latest gadgets and games in order to be happy? Or do WE the people in society actually set the precedence in our own families? But maybe the issue is that we don't always assert our authority over our own lives and choose to not live based on the standard that society sets for us.
Children have an uncanny and very natural desire to love their parents and people in general that they get a good vibe from (they seem to have awesome discernment). All a child really wants is their mommy and daddy (rich, poor, middle class or whatever). With young children there is no judgement because their fuel is love...love keeps them happy....not things. I'm not sure that all would agree with me but the same is really true for adults that have a sincere and honest relationship with God and love themselves. We will forfeit the luxuries of the world for a honest and sincere love from the person that we desire most. Not that we want to be destitute and in the streets but we will trade in the Beemer for the 5 year old Buick if the love is real.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I chose the above scripture to highlight what love really is, it is not just provision but it is combination of qualities that are pure in nature. It is seeking which is truly the best for the other person as a whole and doing what it takes for that person when all sides are measured. There is no wonder romantic relationships cannot last because the first line is "Love is patient", the question is are we patient with each other? Or are we ready to upgrade as if that person in front of us is a cell phone. Heck maybe you don't need an iPhone maybe that flip phone has all the features you need, has less problems then the 1st generation iPhone and costs less money!
In a society where efficiency is the main goal you WILL get the wrong idea if you try and translate that to any relationship. Love takes time, it is not a gadget that you can drop off at the repair shop, leave with your loaner version and pick it up the next day and it works the way you want it to. Love takes work on both the parts of the parties involved. That work takes time and therefore you must not be too busy to take the time that it takes to have the love that you truly desire. (whew say that last line 3 times fast! lol)
