A missionary friend of mine wrote this on Facebook - it was so good I wanted to share it - I keep puzzling over this global situation - this is so succinct and true I think for me it is an acceptable answer!
Though your beliefs might be different, what do you think about this view?
There is a sense in which we are all searching for something to satisfy us in life. A famous "rock anthem of the 60's was the Rolling Stones song, "I can't get no satisfaction". When our wants conflict with our desires we are totally lost and wind up with damaged appetites and souls. A desire that forms at the soul level (the inner person) was meant to be satisfied. The wants that we have are not so deep and are formed at the eye level ( the lust of the eyes). At present something remarkable is happening across the globe. People have become so saturated and bloated with stuff that hasn't satisfied the desires of their hearts that the world economy has completely stopped on a dime. Buying and selling as we know it have come to a stop sign and no one is running the red light. God in his mercy has called a massive universal "time out" to give us a moment of reflection to think about what we really need in life. YOU ARE NOT THE SUM OF WHAT YOU OWN OR PURCHASE!
Today, I read an article in the USA TODAY that tell us that the shipment of goods world wide has declined to the lowest level since World War 2. The executive director of a major port city said this about our current situation, All of a sudden, it all started dropping at the same time". The former chief economist for the IMF said this, "Global trade is collapsing... the whole global economy continues to tank, from China to Europe to the United States".
There comes a point where you look in the mirror and you see that you have spent too long trying to buy satisfaction at a store, a mall or a car lot... or even in a relationship. You are sick of it and so you stop just long enough to cause the world to wake up and notice... it's called a recession and bad things happen but ultimately good can come out of it. If you can avoid the temptation to buy and sell your way out you might just find something that will really satisfy you and the cost has already been paid.
Jesus died for your sins and mine and he waits with outstretched arms to hold a dissatisfied world in his loving and gracious arms. Why not open your heart to finally get the satisfaction your desires are craving? You will not be disappointed!
Jim
This leads me to think that "Stimulous" is only a stop gap - our world, the entire world, is going to have to rethink our way of life and come up with solutions different than what we have been living.
7 comments:
I tend to agree. I think the problem is that as a culture we've never learned the difference between want and need, and we've been spoiled so far in having both satisfied.
I totally agree with you and WC!
The "experts" keep saying that all we have to do is X, Y, and Z to get ourselves back to the way it was. Going back to the way it was won't work! Unbridled greed will rule again, and fail, if we insist on living in a credit-based world.
We're told to start spending again...that will fix the economy. I think the economy needs to hit bottom and start over. We need to get back to saving money for what we want and living within our means, and that includes our gov't, Wall Street, and the banks.
Yep - correct! What is that saying? If it don't work, why keep doing it the same way to get the results that aren't working - something to that effect! I vividly remember the days of "layaway." Great tool for us middle class folks who don't like credit cards....
Yeah, and all the kids I know, who are getting married, have to have a brand-new home, furnished with brand-new furniture.
When we got married, we owned our clothes and a 9 inch black & white TV. We rented until we could afford a home of our own, and bought our furniture one piece at a time. We appreciate everything we have much more than those kids EVER will.
here is the secret to cleaning the frige....keep it full all the time, then nobody can tell if it needs cleaning! we are all doing well and hope you are,too...it's still raining here, and cold, i guess that's what i get for living in a rain forest,eh?as for the tv, i don't usually watch it, i play on my lappy with my back towards it, but if something sounds interesting i can look right into a curio with a mirrored back to see whats going on!however, i need to set up my wii machine on there because wii in 65" should be awesome!
These past few years, with Shawn's job opportunies shrinking, and his pay decreasing, I have had no choice but to learn the difference.
Mind you, I have never been a materialistic person. Oh, don't get me wrong - I would LOVE new furniture and fancy things! Lol. I can, and we do, live without them though.
It's funny, because just today I was talking my former MIL about how lucky I am...I may be broke, but I have my family, and good friends, and we still have a roof over our heads, despite the failing economy and Shawn's lay off.
I just might need to be reminded again about how I am if things get any worse :)
Thats a heck of a Facebook message. Wow!
An idea in Buddhism is "desire is the root of suffering"...
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