Super Man

Super Power

Supersize

Super Bowl

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

They all make about the same amount of sense to me.

Super Man — a regular guy who comes out of a telephone booth wearing tights, prepared to save the day  — or the maiden — or the world. Whatever needs saving, he’s there to do it.

Super Power  — Yeah. I got nothin’. Okay, not true. As a teacher, there were a couple of years when I wanted a shirt that said, “Teaching is my Super Power.” Then I decided that if I were really going to have a super power, I would probably choose something else. Maybe I’d pick having eyes in the back of my head. Now that would be a useful “power”.

Super size. Um…  Lets just say no!

Super Bowl.  Broncos aren’t there, Packers aren’t there. Too many controversies in the playoffs — I’m not watching.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious… “…even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious.”(Lyrics by Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman, and Anthony Drewe.) Oops. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I know the song so I should sing it… or not.

Why are we so obsessed with the idea of “super” this or “super” that? Why do we want things to be “super”?  What’s the point?

In our world we seem to be obsessed with something being more, one of a kind, better, or “super”. What is “it” better than? Sometimes we don’t even know what we are comparing “it” to. And therein lies the problem.

The enemy of contentment is comparison.

Why do we care about the newest, latest, greatest thing? It’s because we are comparing our reality to what we assume is the reality for someone else. When we do that, we fail to see what lies before us; we fail to appreciate the value of God’s provision in our life.

He does provide, doesn’t He?

He provides more than we realize. He brings people into our lives. Some of them challenge us and help us to grow, while others encourage and bless us as we are doing the hard work of growing. He provides a home, a job, food, and every kind of provision. He allows us to learn from Him in prayer and through His Word. He sent His Son to bring His love and to give us an opportunity to know Him personally. He gives Himself.

He does so much for us…

What if we stopped comparing our lives with the lives of the friend from work, or the neighbor down the street, or the family at church?  What if we choose to accept the lifestyle that God has for us and we learn to be content? What if, instead of always wanting the next great thing, we chose to live with what is?

Please understand, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t stretch and try to do more or be better or improve our life. That’s is not my point. We need to do those things as God leads. But as we do them, let’s be sure that we are following His lead and not just striving for the next “super” moment in life.

Wouldn’t it be great if we would get to the place where we could join the Apostle Paul  in saying, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11)?

Honestly, this is something that I need to keep working on.

How about you?

Note: The phrase “Comparison is the enemy of contentment” is not a wholly original idea, although I do not know where it originated.