The Joneses are on Pinterest now!

One things on my mind recently is the cultural idea of "keeping up with the Joneses".  I'm sure that there has always been pressure to keep up with those around us.  The thing is that those "around us" has changed since the dawn of television and Internet.  We now can see the clothing, furnishings, homes, gadgets, etc. from people from all walks of life but perhaps most often the upper-middle class or above.

If you haven't become acquainted with Pinterest, you might want to consider it.  (Especially if you are not easily addicted to things...)  It is a wonderful place filled with hilarious pictures and sayings, tidbits of wisdom, ideas for crafts, ideas for about anything else that you can imagine, and so much more.  What it can also be is a place for a person to get sucked into while viewing picture after picture of "wants" which then somehow magically turn into "needs".

On Pinterest (or otherwise in life), I ache when I hear of or see my friends falling in love with big houses, fancy architecture, and state-of-the-art stuff.  I just get concerned that they are going to have big dreams that just aren't going to be fulfilled, and I am hoping that they will not be disappointed.  Or worse: bankrupt.

Now, before you get the wrong idea, I want to say that I'm not against having a dream or wanting to appreciate the gifts on earth that God gives.  I'm really not.  I am just concerned that the dreams that we tend to have may be so big and heart-consuming that they may make us unable to even see the gifts God does give us along the way.

I also wonder if setting our dreams on our houses and possessions will keep us from spending our money on that which we value.  In particular, I think that it may play a role in distracting us from the tireless effort of using our resources wisely both in what we buy and in what (and how much) we charitably give away.  I think that in our culture we must battle constantly to protect the portion of our resources that we wish to give away.  There will always be something that we want for ourselves, but there is greater blessing in doing good for others.

So, Dear Friends, please realize that the Joneses have shown up on the Internet, and you really don't have to keep up with them to be happy!  Have fun, admire peoples' ingenuity, and enjoy the beauty of the things that show up on Pinterest.  However, guard your heart and choose your dreams wisely.  Please don't become so impatient for the blessings that you hope come someday that you are blind to the blessings being poured on you everyday.  And please don't reach the end of your life and realize that you never did the good with your resources that you always meant to.   Just my two cents.