This stinks! In days gone by, the dream of owning a reliable car, a nice home in a good neighbourhood and some recreational toys to add enjoyment to life was attainable while working a forty hour work week, Only one person needed to work and the family life was the primary focus. To tell the truth, I have never lived in this reality but I was told it was the best of times. So, what changed? I am going to hypothesize and, if you think I am wrong, please let me know.
As life got better, people saw a way to capitalize on the prosperity of society and costs started to rise. As costs rose and living became more expensive, something had to give. Spouses had to go to work to help bring in more cash, children were suddenly needing afterschool care which added more expenses which meant either cutting back on other things or putting in overtime. Overtime led to more expenses for the employer which led the company to cut back on full time and increase salaried positions. These spots helped employers avoid overtime and could get more out of people without having to compensate them for the extra time they put in. Many young couples looked at the price of starting a family and would decide to put it off until they could afford kids. This has, for the past fifty years, been building and, even though it has been a subtle change, the agents that bind have so tightened so much that society has accepted it as the norm even though it stinks so badly.
There is a group of young adults who are bucking the system through quiet quitting. They want to get back to a simpler time when relationships and enjoying life were more important than working themselves to death. You see, as many seek after the wants of life, a growing number are wanting their needs fulfilled, a need for relationship and community. If the focus is on spending every moment of life to fulfill the temporary wants of life, we are essentially entombing ourselves in an ever-shrinking lifestyle that is controlled by the things of the world. As the bonds continue to dig in, the wounds caused by the ever-tightening bindings begin to fester and life truly begins to stink. The easiest way to cover the stench is to add scented oils to mask the smell. I must admit, the movement to taking back time, build relationship and focus on community is a ray of light that could become the turning point for a paradigm shift towards peace and forgiveness. The world can fool themselves into thinking that happiness comes by way of “more stuff” but I refer to these wise words; “three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor 13:13.
Many will believe that if they can keep up with the Jones, they can be happy but, truth be told, if we ask the Jones, they would most likely say they are not really happy but feel crushed in the clamp of misplaced focus. This weekend, we will examine not the failures of the world but rather at what life can look like once the stench of old bonds is washed off. We would love for you to join us either in person or online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST.
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We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.
Blessings,
Pastor Todd
Our Mission “To live the love of Christ”
