October 7, 2014 The Shores of Lake Contentment, Part One by Charles R. Swindoll Matthew 6:19–21 A number of years ago I read that, believe it or not, the average American is exposed to about three hundred advertisements a day. Today that number has very likely increased! The magazine in which I read that fact had more pages dedicated to advertisements than articles of interest to the reader. Shiny, slick, appealing print and pictures designed to hijack your concentration and kidnap your attention. Before you realize it, the Madison Avenue Pied Piper has led you into a world of exaggerated make-believe, convincing you that you simply cannot live without . . . a new digital camera stuffed with extra zoom and more memory an elegant diamond solitaire (a diamond is forever!) a fully-loaded SUV to pull your new outboard a set of Firestones finest Carters Little Pills specially coated to pass right through your stomach releasing their action only in your lower tract Or two dozen other double-page, full-color missiles that explode in your mind with the messages, Try me, youll see and You deserve the very best. Such bombardments do a number on us. Some of the results are obvious. They stimulate our curiosity, they urge us to buy goods or services, they make us aware of what is available, they announce new products, and—of course—they shape our tastes, habits, and customs. Thats all well and good, since its the American way and intricately interwoven into our economy. After all, its a mega-billion-a-year business. But there is a subliminal message that detonates deep down inside our heads---silently yet forcefully. Like shrapnel, thoughts are embedded in the brain, conveying a damaging message if were not careful. And what is that message? In a word, it is discontentment. Dissatisfaction. It creates (if we let it) a restless drive for more . . . or better . . . or bigger. Three hundred times or more a day it chips away at the dam that supports one of the last reservoirs of inner peace known to man—contentment. What a beautiful scene in the soul is Lake Contentment! Any of this sounding familiar? Is the dam of contentment in your life being chipped away? Well talk more about this important topic tomorrow
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 11:11:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015