Friday, September 7, 2012

But It's Cool!: Want Vs. Need


Currently on my "to buy" list: a new laptop! And I had my eye on a sweet one- an Alienware. It had everything I could possibly want- durability, processing power, awesome graphics, style, and attitude. I was so wanting to buy it... really badly. But then, after weeks of research, a thought entered my mind: yes, it was my dream computer, but did I really need all that power? I had told myself, "I need a better graphics card so I can play my Global Agenda." "I need more space for more programs." "I need, I need, I need...." But did I really? It was something that bore some thought.

Finally, I came to the conclusion that even if I got a computer that was barely better than the one I have now, it would be what I need.

Which bears the question: How much that I buy on a regular basis do I actually need?

Why am I willing to spend $700 dollars on a computer and $75 on my health? How about replacing those socks with holes in them instead of getting a video game? Why do I squirm when I buy $15 in food, but $15 in movies seems cheap? Seeing a pattern?

Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. But that's our culture, isn't it? We are raised to consume. We move from one source of "fun" to the next. And when asked to work or be responsible for our lives, what is our answer? Let me tell you, my answer isn't something I'm proud of.

The Bible talks about what our self-indulgence produces. In Galatians 6 it says: 6 "Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."

Wow! What a convicting passage! When we deposite selfish things, such as entertainment, into our life's bank account, guess what we get when we make a withdrawal- definitely not spiritual things. If you plant a rose, you get a rose. If you plant weeds, well... you get the idea. In this case, the passage is referring to sowing in "the flesh", which is anything that our earthly selves want and not our spiritual selves.

Entertainment is the bane of our existence. Did you know that the average person spends 4-5 hours a day watching tv? We can find the time to watch 2.5 to 3 movies, but we can't find the time to spend an hour in God's Word. It makes me sad to think of all those times when I could have been reading my Bible for more than ten minutes a day.

Yes, I know that I still want that awesome gaming computer.

But do I really need it?

Flashback: Backwards Friendship


Backwards Friendship

by Nikitah Luse on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 at 9:30pm

Has anyone ever wondered what is wrong with our friendships today? Why is being friends with even a Christian so difficult?

I've been thinking about this a lot lately through conversations with friends and all that. I finally sat down and wrote out some stuff that I had observed in friendships in the Bible. Really, there is only one friendship that I found that seems to reveal what is missing in our relationships- that of David and Jonathan. What was so special about them? Well, it's really amazing what we find.

1. Their friendship wasn't based on common likes or dislikes, but on one thing only- God!
2. God (or LORD) was a common word in their everyday conversations!

Wow. Think about it. How often do we discuss God when we meet up with our friends for a casual chit chat? How often is even HIS NAME inserted in ANY of our conversations?

The above begs the question: do we really care about the other person? Do we really care if we are not concerned about where they are in their spiritual life? Do we encourage them in it? Do we pray for them AND with them? And is this kind of conversation so familiar that it is like the spiritual life melts in and blends with our "real" life, seamlessly- as if there were no beginning and no end?

What would our relationships be like if we were so totally focused on each other's walk with God? Wouldn't it be cool to just be able to link emotionally and spiritually with the other person? And wouldn't it be wonderful if our language was just full of the words that our Father loves: God, Jesus, Love, Heaven, Prayer, Lord.....

Wouldn't it be wonderful if it was no longer awkward to ask, "So how is your spiritual walk today?"

I think it would be.

The Journey: A Missionary Kid's Vision

Hi, y'all! Nikitah here.

Why am I starting a blog? Well, why not! :) But seriously, since I'm off to Romania soon to live with my family again, a blog seemed like the best way to keep people up to speed, but also to use as a platform for personal expression.

So keep checking back here for adventures, struggles, and news!