Thought for 11 September

 Proverbs 21:20-21

The wise have wealth and luxury but fools spend

whatever they get.  Whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness and honour.

I was listening to the radio last week and heard something that I thought was worth sharing as an indicator of sorts as to where our society is heading.  A young man had proposed to his girlfriend by taking her and a few close friends in a small plane from Glasgow to the Island of Harris.  The flight takes around an hour and the plane lands on the beach.  When the plane was preparing to land, the young man asked his girlfriend to look out the window.  When she did, she could see the words ‘will you marry me’ along with her name written in the sand next to where the plane would land.  I believe her answer was ‘yes’.

This had been arranged by a young lady who had set up a business organising things like this for proposals and other occasions when someone wanted to make a special statement.  The interviewer asked her what it would cost for her company to arrange one of the various of ‘special marriage proposals’ that she could offer.  She answered that prices start at £500 but most customers pay around the £1500 mark but if you’re looking for something really special, you’re looking at £2500 and over!

I couldn’t believe that in these days of relative austerity, there were still folks that could part with these amounts of money while others in society were depending on foodbanks just to survive from week to week.  On considering it further, although these gestures are quite dramatic, they don’t always end with the desired outcome.  It might end up as something memorable for that couple or it might end up as a major disappointment and a waste of money for the person funding the gesture. Even if it works, it can be a very temporary type of fulfillment!  Does it not make you think that somewhere down the line we’ve got our priorities wrong?  Surely trends like this put undue pressures on to young adults.  If one person in a group of friends makes a gesture like this, what do the others in the group do when it becomes their turn?

True happiness based on the godliness and unfailing love can only be found through Jesus Christ by accepting him as our Saviour.  This is a type of happiness that exceeds the temporary nature of this life and, more importantly, even extends into the next.

Prayer - Heavenly Father, Help us to be content with what we have.  Open our hearts and minds to what really matters in this life and correct us when the direction we are taking is not what you would choose for us.  Protect us from being jealous and envious of gestures that in relative terms, only last a moment and then they are gone.  Lord, help us prioritise the things in life that you would have us prioritise and lead us to life everlasting, Amen