Craig D. Lounsbrough a licensed Professional Counsellor in the State of Colorado and ordained by the Evangelical Church Alliance once remarked: “Our egos are utterly convinced that ‘quality of life’ is found in the ‘domineering of life.’ And a very simple way to effectively destroy the whole of your life is to live by this for the smallest part of your life.” Hebrews 13:5 confirms: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Life is made up of many factors which contribute to the overall quality. It has been suggested that: ”The quality of our life depends on the quality of our habits.” Some habits are known to be good and others bad. Habits tend to form part of most people’s lives. They can either make small or large differences depending on how significant they are. Romans 12:2 reminds us: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Habits are defined as: “A settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up." Although habits are considered natural, they can be triggered by emotions, unexpected events, or even a daily routine. When we rise from our nightly slumber, we often begin a process that we consider the norm. This can include such activities as washing or showering, getting dressed, cleaning our teeth, and having breakfast. Changing our habits can result in changing our life. If we keep the good habits and discard the bad ones, then our quality of life will usually improve.
To obtain the best out of life, we need to scrutinize our habits in-depth to determine which should ideally be kept and which should be discarded or adapted. If we continue to uphold the blind and unwise approach of burying our heads in the sand and ignoring the dangers that bad habits might incur, then our quality of life will suffer as a result. 1 Corinthians 6:12 states: “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.”
A true story is told of a middle-aged man who felt disgruntled with his present lifestyle. One day he received a legacy from his late mother who had passed away a year earlier. By nature, he was considered a spendthrift who wasted money on unneeded and worthless items. He could be considered synonymous with the phrase: “A fool and his money are soon parted.” This Obsessive Compulsion Disorder (OCD) was largely due to the fact that he had suffered a mental breakdown several years earlier which instigated a condition known as: "Comfort Buying" within him. Most of the items purchased were the direct result of whims and were never opened when they were received, let alone used. The satisfaction was apparently obtained by the excitement of the purchase rather than the receipt and use of the goods. Two rooms in his house were devoted entirely to unopened boxes. He had spent much money, usually on his credit cards, but sometimes in cash, and over a period of time had built up considerable debt.
His sensible aim after receiving the bequeathment was to clear most of his outstanding debt, having done that he was left with about £30,000 which tended to be burning a hole in his pocket. He decided that he needed to improve his quality of life and considered many possibilities of putting the remainder of the windfall to good use.
He eventually decided to purchase a second-hand boat that was moored on the Norfolk Broads at a cost of £27,000. Proverbs 9:12 reminds us: “If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.” In reality, it was an unwise purchase that should never have taken place as he had little experience in boat handling, especially of such a powerful vessel. It was an eight berth sports cruiser that was capable of speeds in excess of thirty knots through its twin engines which were far more powerful than his boat handling abilities. However, he believed that it would not only be ideal as a personal retreat in times of need but also ideal for holidays with friends. It was moored at a yachting marina adjacent to a boatyard located in Brundall at an additional annual fee of two thousand pounds.
He had big ideas for grand holidays with friends and family which eventually amounted to very little. On one occasion, he persuaded his sister and brother-in-law to join him for a week's holiday with their two daughters. As he had never previously ventured out in the boat since its purchase, the first night that they arrived, they decided to do a trial run to get used to the controls and to get some experience in boat handling. This turned out to be a disaster as the boat was so powerful it was extremely difficult to control at low speeds. After an hour of trying, he managed to steer the boat out of the marina but then nearly crashed the boat into the quayside on the opposite bank when one of the engines failed and the boat became uncontrollable. It took him a further two hours to re-moor it again. This depleted his confidence to such an extent that he became reluctant to take the boat out after that. For the remainder of the holiday, they visited places by train while the boat remained in the marina. It had been the worst and most impracticable purchase of his life. Job 19:4 reminds us: “And even if it be true that I have erred, my error remains with myself.”
That winter was particularly cold and during the boat safety inspection that was required early the following year, he was informed by the examiner that both engines had huge cracks in them which rendered the boat unusable. Both engines needed to be replaced at an estimated cost of £26,000. He eventually succumbed to the fact that it was no longer viable to keep the vessel and offered it for sale. He managed to obtain £2500 for the boat after considerable negotiations with the prospective buyer. However, the relief of eliminating the burden of responsibility was immeasurable and far exceeded the monetary gain. Galatians 6:5-9 states: “For each will have to bear his own load. One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
The moral of this story is a simple one: Some may consider that the quality of life is represented in the possessions that they own. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. It is mere fallacy. Matthew 6:19-21 confirms: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Amen.
