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Key Bible Verse: Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have (Hebrews 13:5). Bonus Reading:Luke 3:10–14

Over the years we've had good, mostly reliable, cars. But it's amazing how old and shabby a perfectly good four- or five-year-old car can look next to a shiny new model. And then there was the fact that my computer was never fast enough, my house never quite big enough, my stereo underpowered, my TV screen too small, my mountain bike too heavy, and my vacations too short.

It never quite occurred to me what all those times I criticized my car, lamenting its inadequacy, drooling over new car ads, communicating my desires to have a different, better, newer car within earshot of attentive ears might do to a child. It's not that I wasn't grateful for what I had: I was. But we lived around people who always seemed to have a little bit more. It was hard not to notice and harder still not to comment occasionally.

Then to my complete astonishment and utter surprise, my children began to be dissatisfied with what they had. Go figure. They started wanting newer, better and more stuff. They had finally learned the lesson I had taught them. My values had been transferred. [continued 12/12]

—Dan Schaeffer in Why I Wear a Plastic Dinosaur

My Response: Do my children's wants differ from those of their classmates?

Thought to Apply: The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.

—Malcolm Forbes (wealthy business publisher, 20th century)

Adapted from Why I Wear a Plastic Dinosaur (Christian Publications, 2002) by permission.

Copyright © 2002 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

O Lord, work in my life so that I live by the values of Your kingdom rather than my society's consumer mentality.

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