October 15

 Art Buchwald, the longtime humorist for the “Washington Post” who died in 2007 is credited with saying, "The best things in life aren't things." As Christians, we know this statement to be true. Certainly the best things in our lives are not those items that money can buy or things we can create in the material world. Faith, hope, and love are more precious than anything we can see with our eyes. Yet, as humans we often find ourselves longing for the very things that we claim are not nearly as valuable. We lose sight of what is real and true. Paul wrote in the fourth chapter of his Letter to the Philippians that he has experienced both living with abundance and then with very little. Regardless of what we have in terms of worldly goods, Paul reminds us that God provides for all our needs. God may not provide for our wants, but he does give us what we need. The flesh seeks what it wants, but the spirit seeks what it needs. In a stewardship way of life, we must always remind ourselves that true wealth never comes from material possessions and money. True wealth comes from the love we share, the faith we develop, and the hope we bring to others. The best things in life aren't free, though. They require work, commitment, and fortitude. We need to cultivate these things daily. If we are serious about living life in this way, we will find that when our days on this earth are through, we really had it all. -Tracy Earl Welliver,