Bend-A-Knee

August 6, 2026

          Have you ever noticed how easily a “comfort” can become a necessity? When purchasing a new/different car, you may claim that it doesn’t have to have all the “bells & whistles” but in reality, many of what was considered luxuries in the past have become necessities today. If you buy a car that offers something new and different from what you owned in the past, this extra “bell & whistle” soon becomes a requirement with your next car purchase.

     This phenomenon isn’t relegated to just vehicle purchases; it is true with houses or appliances we buy. Electronic gadgets need to offer the latest and greatest tech advances in order to insure sales. We are constantly looking for things that not long ago were considered luxuries but now are looked upon as necessities. Once we have something better it is hard to settle for what we had before. Any upgrade on any item becomes the standard by which the next purchase is determined.

     We certainly live in a land of want over need. We are spoiled to the point that we will go into debt to get what we think we deserve instead of waiting until we can save enough money to purchase an item outright. How have we succumbed to this level of desire purchasing? How have we influenced the next generation to continue such trends? Will we ever voluntarily take a step back in luxury?

     Today a new generation has looked at the desires of their predecessors and are forging a new path. “Tiny Houses” are in demand, maybe not to the point of the miniscule size some people desire but smaller homes are now in demand verses the exceedingly large homes that so recently were all the rage. While on vacation my wife and I drove by a new development that featured all single-story small houses. As we drove by several times, we recognized the home owners as young families and not as “empty-nesters” looking to downsize. “Minimalists” realize that bigger isn’t always better and having more comes at the cost of greater debt.

     Today as you consider pausing at noon to Bend-A-Knee in prayer, may you echo the words of the Apostle Paul that “…godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6) May you find as Paul is advocating a sufficiency that can only be found in Christ and that contentment comes as the reward of true godliness.

Stay connected to God & to others

God’s Peace

Pastor Mike