After reading the jacket cover of a book in the bookstore, as well as the "Adam, Eve, and the Alien" chapter of Donald Miller's SEARCHING FOR GOD KNOWS WHAT I am convinced that most of our human unhappiness comes from envy...which is really just a search for love.
Let me explain.
We buy certain things for pragmatic reasons, like food or shelter. But a lot of the things we buy, have and do is just to earn love from other people by making ourselves appear worthy of that love. Or more specifically, to prove our value.
Why do we want that promotion at work, even if we are paid just the same? To prove our value so that we can feel validated and therefore loved.
Why do we buy the XBOX for the children? So that they will know that we like them and they will in turn love us.
Now, many of you will ascribe to yourself more noble motives and dismiss everything I am saying. But I ask you to do this instead. What things do you to make yourself feel more valuable in the eyes of others? In the eyes of God? And what things do you do as a reflection of your value in your own eyes and in God's eyes?
Just a little thought for the day.
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3 comments:
Very good post and thought provoking. I had to go back and read it a second time in order to answer your questions in my mind. I think that when I'm feeling a little down or disappointed about something, I go out and buy something. I guess it's a small way of giving myself something to look forward to. Strange eh? But I have found that this can be typical for many women, at least women I work with. Would you mind if I piggy back off of this subject in my blog some day?
You have some valid points. As for me, as to the promotion at work/same pay thing, is wanting the respect that I deserve the same as feeling validated and loved?
XBOX? My kids, who are 28 and 22, bought their own stuff like that. We were the meanest parents in the world because we didn't buy our kids stuff like that to let them know we liked them. We used words to tell them and hugs to show them.
I guess some of the things that I do to make myself feel more valuable in the eyes of others and/or the eyes of God are that I give more of myself, my time, my resources than I actually have at times. I try to be generous and I am, sometimes to the detriment of myself and my energy. None of it is necessary because, intellectually, I know that in God's eyes, I have value just as I am.
That is so true and maybe explains why I just had to have a new cell phone earlier this week. I mean everybody else has phones the do everything, as well as, by the way, make phone calls. I thought the snazzy new phone was going to make me feel better.But I decided to wait.
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