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I was watching an episode of the Fairly Oddparents with my children.  The main character, Timmy, was giving his friend AJ a new computer as a gift.  Timmy gives it to him and AJ thanks him but that the computer was obsolete for twelve seconds because a new version came out that featured tint control.  AJ thanked Timmy for the high-tech doorstop.

Now, you might not think someone could get a Bible lesson from the Fairly Oddparents, but I was struck by how that little exchange highlights so much the way many of us chase the hot, new item.  If we have something we're very happy with...a television, a computer, a car, a spouse...we feel the urge to trade them in for something hot and new and fancy.  We crave those things that we really don't need but we have that discontent about our lives that unless we have the "new" thing we're not going to be happy with our lives.

It's hard to reach a point where we really don't care about the physical possessions in our life.  We're called as believers to be content in every situation and that means even if we don't have the things in life that we want we need to rejoice in the love of the father that we have the things that we need to live.  When we're not in that mindset, we start to get unhappy with everything including our relationships with others and our relationship with God.

Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13 (ESV) "...I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need."   That secret is a simple joy in trusting the Lord and knowing that all things are within His hand and all things are His to give and take away.   When you reach the point where you can honestly say all is His and that you do not worry about the physical needs of this world then you can truly be content regardless of circumstance.

Now, I don't know anyone who has reached that point.  I don't know a single ministry that has never asked anyone to give them some kind of support for their efforts.  That's not a knock on them in any way but the way I read the Philippians passage it seems to be the ultimate goal would be to get to the point that we would never ask anyone for a dime because we know God will just provide it through His people. 

But think about how freeing it would be for us to be able to live in that kind of trust with God.  It's a ruthless trust that would take over our lives and transform us more into the way Christ calls us to live.