The Joneses

That was the title of a movie I watched years ago. The Joneses was a fake family made up of a mom, a dad, a son and a daughter and used as a marketing strategy. They had no relation to each other. The family was given the latest toys, clothing, furniture, gadgets, etc then placed in an affluent neighborhood. Their job was to flaunt all the good stuff they had and entice their neighbors to buy these things ranging from cars to golf clubs to phones.

One particular neighbor wanting to please the Joneses and be like them fell for the hoax, started acquiring stuff the Joneses marketed to the point that he everything. Having realized too late that he had racked up debts in his obsession to impress his new hip and rich neighbors, he committed suicide!

Keeping up with the Joneses; trying to impress or please people can be exhausting and costly. If indeed life is a stage as Shakespeare says, we are really playing for an audience of one-God. Colossians 1:10 says ours is to live a life that pleases God in every way. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” adds 1 Corinthians 10:31.

In all you do, in your decision making, in acquiring possessions, in crafting a lifestyle, be sure your aim is not to please people. A desire to belong or to be accepted by people or someone can push you to make some bad decisions, take some wrong turns, rack up unnecessary debt, do things you do not even like, work excessively, stress yourself, your spouse and your children too in the process! Live free in Christ and strive to please God alone. He knows you already and loves you just as you are. Really, He is the only one whose opinion of you counts!

Blessings!
Love, Lady Monica❤