Mahadas Gandhi said, “There is enough in the world to feed our need, not our greed.” In any case, it is obvious that we have been so caught up in our personal worlds that we have not heeded his voice. And now, see where it has gotten us. President George W. Bush insisted that whatever money we had “It is your [our] money.” Today the majority of humanity has no money to claim. Maybe you have heard that people are not even giving to their churches as generously as they used to. Either they do not have the money or they are becoming more frugal or mean, just trying to secure themselves against the day of final disaster. There is no question that a lot of folks even within the churches have gorged themselves on material things so much so that we are today facing the greatest crisis of excess this world has ever known. We have lived on credit and the credit markets of the world have dried up. We have fished the seas and oceans and they are now refusing to yield. Yes, the world is running out of gas, out of food and out of pure drinking water. We have been on the road to excess and now we are at its end.

As we contemplate the present conditions and confess our sins, we also must ask the Lord to give us strong wills to change our ways and learn to be content. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5). The apostle Matthew records the words of Jesus, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). To live in this world of competition and adopt the spirit of contentment is not always as easy as it might seem. However the grace that God gives makes possible that which is most difficult. I would encourage us to follow the road of moderation and generosity in the cause of God.