Do You Really Need It?

By Katina Anderson

“I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to becontent.” (Philippians 4:11)
But godliness with content ment is great gain.”
(1 Timothy 6:6)

Contentment.  What comes to your mind when you think of someone or something that is content?   I think of a fat cat asleep on a sofa, that’s the first thing that comes to my mind! 🙂  Isn’t contentment a hard character trait to cultivate in our materialistic society? Everywhere we turn we are bombarded with commercials, billboards, banner ads on our computers, sale flyers, catalogs, with messages communicating our need to buy more, have more.  We couldn’t possibly have a successful or even normal life without the advertised item. To this I say, nonsense!  All we need are the basic essentials of life to survive and thrive.

“And having food and raiment let us be therewith be content.” (1 Timothy 6:8)

One example of the stark contrast between need vs. want for me was baby things.  When I had my first baby, I had all the gizmos and gadgets that I thought I needed to care for my baby effectively.  We recently had our fourth darling baby, and I realized that I use a tiny fraction of what I used to think was absolutely necessary to care for my little sweetheart.

This applies so much to many other areas of life.  Do you really need the best cell phone plan? Expensive personal care items?  Dinner out?  Do you really have to run to the grocery store again for something for dinner?

I think so often the things we think we need are not truly necessities.  Now, I’m not saying that we should never buy something superfluous or unnecessary, certainly not!  Life would be boring if we never did anything different or non-essential.  However, it is important to evaluate how you are spending your money.  Is it mostly on needs or wants?  Just take a few weeks to evaluate how you shop.  You don’t have to change how you are shopping, but just the exercise may make you more aware of where your money is going.  You might just end up with two cents or more!

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. “ (Hebrews 13:5)

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