Gloria Dei Lutheran Church | Urbandale, Iowa

Blessed in America

Pastor Burcham’s Sermon

Sunday, June 28, 2009

America is one of the most blessed nations on the planet and we have been for well over 200 years. We’ve enjoyed unprecedented freedoms in the history of the world when you look at what we have as a land and the things that we’re able to do. Just the land itself is full of natural resources. We produce far more food in this country than what we can consume and so it’s exported around the globe.

We have incredible blessings in this land, even to the point that if you were to look at those who we label as being in poverty, those who we look at as being poor, now I don’t want to take anything away from them, but if you look at who we label as poor, for most countries in the world, they would see them as being rich. Consider the fact that 75% of those who are labeled as in poverty level have air conditioning in their homes, that almost 45% of them are in their own homes, the fact that probably 90% plus have at least one, if not two, television sets, most of them have their own cars to drive. Now I don’t want to take anything away from those who are in poverty because, according to our standard of living, they are at poverty level. But if those who we consider in poverty are considered by many, many other countries as being wealthy and rich, then where does that put you and me? At what level are we, the middle class, the upper middle class? How must we be viewed?

We are blessed in America. And yet it doesn’t seem to be enough, does it? There always seems to be a desire for more. We want bigger, we want better, we want the latest, we want the greatest. I was astounded to find out that a whopping 43% of Americans live beyond their means. 43% spend more each year than what they bring in. The average credit card debt for an American is $8,000. In the last ten years, bankruptcies have doubled. In 2003, it was estimated that consumer debt was at $2 trillion. What’s it now six years later?

We have an insatiable appetite for more. We become dissatisfied with what we have. It has to be a bigger car. It has to be a newer stereo. It has to be greater. It has to be the latest thing that’s out there. I think, in fact, I know that it’s time for us to heed God’s call as He speaks through St. Paul and He says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” We need to learn contentment. If we don’t learn contentment, then I fear for the worst because God also said this through St. Paul, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish, harmful desires and plunge men into ruin and destruction.”

If we don’t curb our appetite, if we don’t do something about consumerism that has gone wild, will it lead to our destruction? Now granted, I don’t really understand the economy and all the things that are surrounded but it seems to be an accepted fact the reason we’re in the condition we are today is because of consumerism that has gone wild, people wanting bigger, wanting better, living beyond their means and people looking for more and more profits are willing to take greater and greater risks. And then finally, it all blows up. It can lead to our ruin and destruction.

We are so blessed in this country, it’s time that we learn contentment. And so we have to go to God’s Word and how does God tell us that we can learn to be content with the many blessing He’s given to us? It really calls for an attitude change. We have to think of things differently and look at things differently.

First of all, the first thing to learn for contentment is you can’t take it with you. I know that’s an obvious fact but I’m not sure that it really sinks in for us. We really can’t take it with us. Scripture says, “You brought nothing into the world, you can take nothing out of the world.” It’s as simple as that. Everything we have is on loan from God. We have it for a few years but, in the end, it’s not going to go with us. Now mind you, people have tried. People have tried to take it with them. Maybe a few years ago you saw the newspaper ad where the guy was buried in his car. It was a Rolls Royce, I don’t know, some outrageously expensive car. They dug a great big hole, they put him inside and they buried him. Was he going to drive around the streets of golden heaven? I don’t know, but he was buried in his car.

Maybe you heard about the multimillionaire who left in his will, he stated that he was leaving everything to himself. Yeah. And his widow, wanting to fulfill his wishes, wrote out a check for the entire amount and put it in his pocket. You can’t take it with you no matter how much you might try. So does that change your perspective? Does that change your priorities of what’s really important when you realize that everything you have really is on loan from God? You might have it 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 years, I don’t know. But after that, you won’t. So maybe there’s a little bit of an attitude adjustment, a little bit of prioritization, you can’t take it with you.

The second thing is take stock of what you have. Just take a look around at everything that you have. When you go into your car after service, take a fresh look at it. When you drive up to your home, take a fresh look at it. Because I think we sort of get numb to everything that we do have. What is that saying? Familiarity leads to contentment. We get so used to the things we have that we don’t even realize what it is.

I’m going to go back in time here and I’m looking out to see, some of you might remember this song. Some of you, it may be a little past you, it might be a little bit before you. Do you remember the “Piña Colada” song? I don’t know the real name of it. I’m seeing some heads nodding. Piña Colada song. The chorus was if you like piña coladas, getting caught in the rain, if you’re more into yoga than champagne, do you remember all that? Okay. It was a classic 1970's, late 70's song. And it was one of those story songs. And the story was, and this is the classic line, “I got tired of my lady. We’ve been together too long.” Now is that classic 1970's lyrics? “Tired of my lady because we’ve been together too long.” You see, he’s bored, right? There must be something better. There must be something different out there. So he starts reading the personal ads and that’s where the chorus comes in because it says, “Do you like piña coladas and walking in the rain?” And he says, “Yeah, that’s it. That’s who I’m looking for. That’s the person.” So he writes back, “Yeah, I love all that stuff.” He says, “I’ll meet you at O’Malley’s at noon.” And then the song goes on and here’s the great line, he looks up and he says, “Oh, it’s you. It was my own lovely lady.” What he’d been looking for was there all along. He just didn’t know he had it. Everything that he was looking for in a partner, for companionship was already there but he had to see it through fresh eyes.

Look at what God has given you through fresh eyes. Here’s a small exercise: When you go home, I want you to pretend that you’re going to put your house up for sale. And so I want you to write an ad for it. You’re going to market this baby, okay? I want you to write down all the things that are desirable about your home and then read it on Monday, see if you don’t want to buy it. Take stock of what you have and look at all the blessings God has already given to you. You look at that and you might say, “I don’t think I need anything more.” All of a sudden, maybe contentment comes a little bit easier when you have a little bit different perspective on things.

We have to learn the difference between want and need and that, my friends, is not easy. And I’m speaking to myself in this whole message as much as I am to you. You have to learn the difference between what’s a want and what’s a need because we are masters at rationalizing what we actually need. Tell me if this hasn’t been some of the conversations that you have heard over the years or even over the last few weeks. “You know, honey, we’re going on vacation. I need to get out to the store and buy some new clothes.” Really? “Honey, I want to get at that project in the back yard but I need a new tool.” Honestly? “You know, for my position and my work that I have, I really need to get a few more suits.” Do you? Is it on the level of need, on the level of want?

If you go home this morning and your air conditioning is not working in your home, will you make an emergency phone call to get that air conditioning fixed because you need that air conditioning? Do you? Do you need running water? Do you need indoor plumbing? Do you see what I’m getting at here? There’s a difference between a need and a want. And I’m not saying that the wants are bad. I’m just saying distinguish between the two because if we start getting them confused of what’s a need and what’s a want and, all of a sudden, when our wants rise up to the level of a need, that means our wants ratchet up at the same time. So now, all of a sudden, what might be considered extravagant, well, it’s not all that extravagant. Yeah, I don’t really need it but it would be nice. You see, it’s not that far off. You know, I don’t really need a 6,000 square foot home but it would be nice. I don’t need $120,000 car but it would be nice. When you start mixing the two and, all of a sudden, the wants become needs, then your wants ratchet up at the same time.

Know the difference truly between a want and a need. God says if I have food and clothing, I can be content with that. Food and clothing. He didn’t say if I have food and a closet full of clothes. He didn’t say as long as my freezer’s full and the cupboard is jam packed and I have a suit, then I can be content. If I have food and clothing. What are the bare necessities that you need?

Now again, I don’t want you to misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that you need to take a vow poverty. I’m not suggesting that you should only have one outfit and that you should get rid of everything else. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have all that stuff. I’m not even saying that you can’t have desires for things and have wants in your life. Just distinguish between the two and realize how many of your wants that God has blessed you with. How many of your wants has God given to you? Know the difference.

The last thing scripture tells us, “We are to trust God and not our possessions.” We are to look to God and not look to what we have if we want to know contentment. St. Paul also talked about contentment, not only to Timothy but also to the Church at Philippi and he wrote this, “For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” St. Paul says, “I have learned the secret of being content.” Now is he like the super hero of contentment? “No matter what’s happening in my life, I can be content.” Whether he has a lot, whether he has a little, “I can be content.” So is he like superhuman in all of this? No. “The secret,” he says, “I can’t do it, but I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” That Him is Jesus. If he’s looking for contentment, he looks to Jesus.

Most of our discontent, most of our wanting more and buying and purchasing and gathering up and storing up really centers from our need either to be happy, we think that maybe if we have more, then, all of a sudden, we’ll be happier or maybe we’re looking for fulfillment. Maybe we’re looking for self worth. “If I have a certain amount of things, that must mean I’m successful. That must mean I’m important, that I’ve done well.” And so there is this hole inside of us, this emptiness inside of us, and we think that if we get more, if we get bigger, if we get better, somehow we can fill up that empty spot that’s within us. But you can’t. The only thing that can fill that empty spot is Jesus Christ. He’s the only one. That’s the only way you’ll know contentment.

You see, it’s only Jesus who can calm our conscience. It’s only Jesus who can forgive us our sins and let us let go of the past and our regrets. It’s only through faith in Him and looking to Him and His death and His resurrection to know that we have peace with God because that’s really where the hole is at, is we’re missing God.

And as far as self worth? To know that God loved us enough to sacrifice His Son, to know that God has plans for you, that God looks at you individually as His creation? You see, that’s where self worth comes from. Happiness? Happiness really is contentment. Contentment comes through faith in Christ.

We can have all the things we want in this world and still feel empty inside because no one can fill that empty spot besides Jesus. And that’s when you find the secret, St. Paul says, to contentment. He says, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

Have a different perspective on life. Keep in balance the blessings. Know the difference between wants and needs. Take stock of everything I have. I can do all of that, not on my own but through Him who gives me strength.

We are incredibly blessed in this country. And this next week is a time for us to take in all those blessings, take them in individually but also as a country of all the incredible things God has given to us. And at least my prayer is that I and all of you can learn to be content with everything God has given us. Amen.