Now, some 2,000+ songs later, it seems that my ears are bored. Not that there’s not anything to listen to (because there’s always the Winans), but sometimes you just want something new. So in my search for that something new, I wanted to try out the video feature. Anyone familiar with mp3 players should very well know that videos are just one of the new “it” things for mp3s, along with a slew of other unnecessary inspector gadget-esque offers which are amusing, but serve no real purpose. Now, the only problem with the Zune is that compatible video formats are hard to find (my argument in opposition for anyone looking to purchase one) and what videos the Zune social network does offer comes with a price tag. That, in the end, can be very expensive. So I started looking for alternatives – cheaper routes basically– and came across a “one time fee for unlimited downloads” site. It seemed quite reputable, and had a lot of support from big-name companies in favor of it, so I thought to try it. $35 to download software for unlimited songs and videos (all gospel) sure sounded like a sweet deal.
So I downloaded the software and then further proceeded to download a video to see if it will in fact work. Needless to say, not only were the videos of poor quality, but they too were incompatible with my Zune and on top of that, my computer started acting up as a result of the download.
I’ll admit, I got nervous for a second because this wouldn’t be the first time that a P2P (person to person) file and software exchange program had infected my computer. But thank the Lord, it was just a glitch and I was able to correct the problem by rebooting the computer.
But I got to thinking (as the older folks would say), if it had crashed, I would have had no one to blame but myself. Sure I could point the finger at the corrupt person on the other end of the file, but would I have not been at fault as well for chasing my greed and trying to take the “cheaper route”? Quite similarly, people fall victim to credit card scams [or scams of whatever sort] because they’re looking to satisfy a desire, and to a further extent, a greed that they have. The deviant mind on the other end simply takes notice and exploits that weakness. So under the pretenses of appearing to be something good, he gets away with it because we willing give in to our own greed.
So my question remains, are we victims to ourselves? Here’s my point: It is my belief that we unnecessarily suffer some things that we don’t have to because in our greed, we chase things that aren’t intended for us. We want too much. The book of James expressly informs us that a man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts. Surely we’ve heard several times that the enemy is not going to tempt us with anything that we don’t already want. By no means am I playing devil’s advocate; I just believe he’s doing his job, and we at times make it easier for him.
Now that’s not to say that we shouldn’t want things for ourselves, because I believe that God can get the glory out of our “things” as well, but I do suggest that we become mindful to separate our needs from our greed. Paul reminds Timothy that godliness with contentment is great gain. He says that as long as we have food and clothing – our needs – then we should be content, knowing that we brought nothing into this world and can take nothing out of it.
So I encourage you, be content with what you have. Don’t chase things or money. If it’s meant for you to have, then it will be given to you. Yield not to the temptations of the flesh, but delight thyself in the Lord and He will give thee the desires of thy heart. Be encouraged. (reading: I Timothy 6:6-11)
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